PM: Have recovered, returned to people Rs 17k cr 'scam money'
Times of India | 29 May 2024
KOLKATA: PM Narendra Modi claimed on Tuesday that Centre had already recovered and returned Rs 17,000 crore of "scam money" to people all over the country.
Modi's claim came during a campaign rally in Ashoknagar, a part of the Barasat Lok Sabha constituency, on the penultimate day of his Bengal campaign. It followed repeated campaign promises in the state to return Rs 3,000 crore of "scam money" to Bengal's citizens who had lost money in various alleged "scams perpetrated by the Trinamool Congress govt".
The PM also made another promise to voters - "Jisne khaya hai, usse bahar nikalunga, jiska khaya hay, usko lautunga (Will get the money out from scamsters and return it those who have been duped)" - as a follow-up to his earlier promise: "Na khaunga, na khane dunga (Will not indulge or let anyone indulge in corruption)."
The PM, however, refrained from making any personal attack on Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. He constantly referred to her as the "Trinamool's CM" in his Ashoknagar speech; in his Baruipur speech later, Banerjee became "Mukhyamantri Madam".
Modi also referred to Trinamool's criticism of various court judgments. "Will they now set goons on judges?" he asked. The latest round of criticism from Trinamool came after a recent Calcutta High Court verdict on the scrapping of OBC certificates in Bengal, a decision that might impact more than 5 lakh caste certificates issued since 2010. Trinamool seniors, including CM Banerjee, have insisted that they did not accept that "BJP verdict".
Narendra Modi's Ashoknagar and Baruipur (a part of Jadavpur LS constituency) rallies preceded a 2.5km roadshow on Tuesday from Shyambazar to Vivekananda Road, both part of the Kolkata (North) LS constituency. He went to Mayer Bari in Bagbazar (where Ramakrishna Paramhamsa's wife, Sarada Ma, used to stay and brea-thed her last) before embarking on the roadshow, which ended metres from Swami Vivekananda's birthplace.
The PM was critical of Trinamool's "abuse" directed at the sadhus of Ramakrishna Mission, Iskcon and Bharat Sevashram Sangha and linked that to the party's "appeasement" politics. "They are insulting them in a bid to make their vote bank happy. They made their lives hell. This is TMC's terror model and that is being exposed now," he said while addressing the Baruipur rally.
Modi also said voting for CPM would finally translate into ensuring gains for TMC. "They might be two separate parties, but their shops are the same.... CPM is contesting here to help TMC. They are actually playing a different game behind the curtain. Now, Mukhyamantri Madam has announced that she will support the INDI alliance in New Delhi," he said.
Asking people to choose between "politics of performance" and "politics of blood, corruption and appeasement", Modi said Trinamool's opposition to CAA also stemmed from "vote-bank politics". "When CAA was implemented, they started spreading lies about it. They wanted to create a fear among people so that they are afraid to leave their camps," he said. Referring to "hundreds" who have got citizenship under CAA, Modi said none had lost anything in the process.
Talking about development in Bengal, Modi said BJP understood the "aspiration of people". "It is important to give Bengal its pride back.... TMC cannot even maintain law and order. They don't have any vision and promote a corrupt ecosystem. They want to keep you poor. In the past two months, I have been to many towns of Bengal. INDI's and TMC's forts have started to crumble," he said.