Kolkata : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress over the alleged culture of political violence that has been continuing across the state ever since the Mamata Banerjee-led government stormed to power.
“Over 100 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers have been killed in political violence in the state since 2014. Their sacrifice will not go in vein. We not only want to expand our political influence in Bengal, but we also want to rid Bengal of the violent political environment under the Trinamool regime,” Shah told during a virtual ‘Jan Samvad Rally’.
Calling to restore its lost cultural glory, he said Bengal was the only state where political violence took place even during the Covid-19 lockdown. Shah urged the people of West Bengal to vote for the BJP in the coming Assembly elections scheduled next year.
“It is only BJP that can change the political culture of Bengal. I appeal to the people of the state to give Modi Ji a chance for corruption and violence-free Bengal. People of Bengal who voted against the Communist rule in 2011 expecting development are now saying that even the Communists were better than the Trinamool Congress,” Shah said, sounding the poll bugle for Assembly elections in the state which are still months away.
Shah said that even Bihar is on the path of development ever since the National Democratic Front (NDA) government took charge there. “You gave the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) 34 years and 10 years to ‘Didi’. Now give a chance to Modi Ji and you will see the change in Bengal,” he added.
Taking a dig at the Mamata Banerjee-led state government over the migrant labourers’ issue, the Union Home Minister said the state government was completely apathetic towards the migrant workers who were in dire crisis during the Covid-19 lockdown.
“Didi has insulted these migrant workers by calling Shramik Special trains ‘Corona Express’. Now these migrant workers will ensure the exit of Trinamool Congress from the seat of power in Bengal,” he said.
Shah also attacked the Bengal government over its alleged failure to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier, he had addressed the people of Bihar and Odisha via video conferencing. The BJP’s West Bengal unit and central office in New Delhi coordinated for the rally which was aired live on social media on Tuesday.
Accusing Banerjee of indulging in appeasement politics in Bengal, Shah said that priorities were being given to a particular community.
“Banerjee had also opposed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), denying citizenship to the refugees who came to India before 2015. She was so angry after the CAA was formed. I have never seen such an angry person in my life. What has the Matua community done to her,” he said, adding that people of Bengal will soon turn Banerjee into a political refugee. (IANS)