Amit Shah arrives in Kolkata, to inaugurate party’s membership drive in West Bengal
The Statesman | 27 October 2024
Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in West Bengal late Saturday night, where he will be inaugurating the party’s ‘Sadasyata Abhiyan’ in the state.
Shah was welcomed by BJP leaders Suvendu Adhikari and Sukanta Majumdar.
Earlier, BJP leader Agnimitra Paul informed that Amit Shah will inaugurate the party’s membership drive in West Bengal which has been going on across the country on Sunday.
“Tomorrow (October 27), we will have a formal inauguration of the party’s membership drive which has been going on across the country, for which Amit Shah is coming to Kolkata,” Paul told ANI.
She also slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over casualties in Cyclone Dana.
“4 people in West Bengal lost their lives in Cyclone Dana. Odisha saw zero casualties in the cyclone even when it was centred in the state…Mamata Banerjee promised everyone that she would transform the state and make it London, but she managed to make it like Venice,” Paul said.
BJP’s Rahul Sinha also criticised the Mamata government alleging that TMC never wants relief money to reach the people.
“Mamata Banerjee is trying her best to incite riots in West Bengal… What can be more unfortunate than this?… TMC government prays to god for more such natural disasters so that they can claim money from the centre in the name of disaster relief, but that money never reaches the common man,” he said.
On Amit Shah’s visit, BJP leader Locket Chatterjee said that due to political issues in the state, the membership drive started late in the state.
“BJP membership drive is going on throughout the country. Amit Shah is coming to West Bengal to launch it. More than 10 crore people have become members of the party already. Due to the political issues in West Bengal, the drive started late,” Chatterjee said.
Along with the membership drive, the Union Home Minister will also inaugurate the Passenger Terminal building and Maitri Dwar at Land Port, Petrapole in West Bengal on Sunday.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Amit Shah will inaugurate the Passenger Terminal Building and Maitri Dwar at Land Port, Petrapole in West Bengal on Sunday, October 27, 2024. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has provided the Land Ports Authority of India a new momentum, direction and dimension to take forward our cultural and trade relations with all South Asian countries.
The Land Port Petrapole is the largest Land Port in South Asia and it is a vital gateway for trade and commerce between India and Bangladesh. Petrapole (India)-Benapole (Bangladesh) is one of the most important land border crossings for India-Bangladesh both in terms of trade and passenger movement.
Nearly 70 per cent of land-based trade (by value) between India and Bangladesh takes place through this Land Port. Petrapole Land Port is also the eighth-largest international immigration port in India and facilitates the movement of over 23.5 lakh passengers annually between India and Bangladesh.
Maitri Dwar is a Joint Cargo gate at zero line agreed upon by both countries. Amit Shah had laid the foundation stone on May 9, 2023. In response to the daily cross-border traffic movement at Land Port Petrapole, which sees approximately 600-700 trucks per day, LPAI established a new common second cargo gate named Maitri Dwar along the India-Bangladesh border.