Amid allegations of attack on BJP’s Parivartan Yatra — the party’s outreach programme in poll-bound West Bengal — in Cooch Behar on Wednesday evening, Uttarakhand Chief Minister and BJP leader Pushkar Singh Dhami flagged off the Yatra in Basirhat’s Hingalganj area on Thursday.
Attacking the Trinamool Congress-led government, Dhami alleged that the party only wants to “make Bengal a corrupt place” and there is “TMC loot tantra” in the state.
Stating that “Bengal is ready for change”, Dhami said “this huge crowd is a crowd against the atrocities, corruption and appeasement politics and lawlessness.”
Dhami attacked the TMC government over the issues of SIR, corruption, deteriorating health infrastructure, education and unfulfilled promises.
Alleging that TMC has not implemented several central schemes in Bengal, depriving the people of the state from several welfare schemes, Dhami stated, “Over here, there is TMC loot tantra. PM (Narendra Modi) has given Bengal respect by making Bengali language Sastri Bhasa, Durga Puja has got UNESCO tag, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose statue is there on Kartavya Path. TMC only wants to make Bengal a corrupt place. All the castes, creeds and religions are equal for us. Only the country comes first. But the TMC does appeasement politics.”
Addressing the public, Dhami said, “Geographically, Bengal and Uttarakhand are far but Ma Ganga joins us together…”
Remembering his childhood days, Dhami stated that a huge number of refugees who had come from Bangladesh after 1971 used to live around his home so he grew up between them and used to participate in all their festivals. After getting to know the Bengali culture more deeply he realised “how rich the Bengali culture is”.
“Be it science or culture, there is no area where Bengal has not contributed or left a mark.This Parivartan Yatra will bring prosperity, development, safety and security. Such huge crowds prove that Bengal is ready for change, this huge crowd is a crowd against the atrocities, corruption and appeasement politics and lawlessness. This sends a signal that no more atrocities, appeasement will be tolerated. Our Yatra is to bring back Rabindranath Tagore’s Sonar Bangla, a developed Bengal, where the people can hold their head high and move without fear,” said Dhami.
Promising a Vikashit Bengal, he said, “We have to develop such a Bengal which becomes an example in culture, education and development. At one time, Bengal was leading in everything be it education, culture, industry, women safety but in the past few years that is no longer there. Now, the state is in debt of over Rs 8 lakh crore.”
Bringing up the issue of women safety, Dhami said, “Women in Bengal are not safe, from Kamduni to Sandeshkhali…these incidents have shook the entire country. We have seen the atrocities, the RG Kar rape and murder… The TMC government tried to cover up evidence.”
Attacking the Mamata government over its promises, he said “Mamata didi had said that the government officials will be given DA but there is a difference in DA between the state and the Centre by 40 per cent. She has made the working educated youth into youths who have to take doles. TMC says they have done development… What development have they done? People are homeless, crops are being spoiled and TMC is a silent spectator. The national cyclone mitigation project was made for your security but that has stayed only on paper for the last 10 years. The money sent from Delhi for your security against cyclones… where did that go? Even after 15 years of rule, people are not getting pure drinking water.”
Stating that the education system has collapsed, Dhami said, “The education system has also collapsed. At least 8200 schools have closed down and 10,000 more schools are on the brink of closing down. The future of children is in darkness. Even farmers and industries have been completely destroyed in their rule.”
Alleging that the infiltration from the neighbouring country is a threat to national security, Dhami stated: “Infiltration is happening… It is resulting in a threat to national security. SIR is happening in the entire country. It is a democratic country… cannot understand why she (Mamata) has a problem with fake voters being removed. She has a problem that the EC is removing the fake voters. With fake documents, infiltrators are being brought in to strengthen the vote bank”.
Assuring that no Hindu refugee will be affected, Dhami said, “The Citizenship (Amendment) Act was introduced to give citizenship to our Hindu brothers who were refugees from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan but she had a problem with that. But the Central government is firm that Hindu refugees will get citizenship and no one can stop it.”
Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur addressed a Parivartan Yatra rally in Islampur and later a Jansabha in Karandighi, highlighting issues related to women’s safety, employment and development.
Thakur expressed confidence that the people of West Bengal have made up their minds to bring a double-engine government to the state. She alleged that under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee, the state government “has failed to ensure women’s safety and employment opportunities for youth”. She said that once the BJP comes to power, the development schemes of the central government will be fully implemented in West Bengal.
Additionally, Union Minister Jitin Prasada participated in the Parivartan Yatra in Sitalkuchi, and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda addressed a public rally in Asansol. They stated that people across the state are seeking relief from the “misgovernance and appeasement politics under the current regime”.
The Parivartan Yatra of the Greater Kolkata region was flagged off from Rani Rashmoni Road by state BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya. Addressing the gathering, he said: “Clearly All India Trinamool Congress has become worn out and is nearing its end…the TMC is on its way out and the Bharatiya Janata Party is set to come to power”.