Officially beginning her campaign for the party from the BJP stronghold of Maynaguri in North Bengal on Wednesday, TMC supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made a pointed attack on the main Opposition party, accusing it of being anti-Bengal, anti-women, and anti-people party.
“On the auspicious occasion of Annapurna Puja, I am beginning my election campaign from Maynaguri. This is my favourite place,” the TMC supremo said as she introduced the party’s candidate Rammohan Roy.
“Let me tell you why you should vote for the TMC and not the BJP this time. Do you remember standing in lines due to demonetisation? The BJP is an anti-woman party. They have deleted the names of many women from the electoral rolls. Names of married women have been struck off since their surname and address have changed. Names of several Rajbanshis have been deleted. They have been served with NRC notices… How dare the BJP call us foreigners and ask us to prove our citizenship? First, you (BJP) prove whether you are citizens of this country, then ask people to prove their citizenship,” Mamata said, invoking the Election Commission Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls that have so far seen over 70 lakh names deleted from the voters’ list.
As the TMC chief campaigned in other BJP strongholds of Jalpaiguri and Matigara, she kept targeting the BJP.
“The BJP is banning the sale of fish and meat. People are being beaten for what they eat and wear,” she said, adding, “Who are they to decide? People are being lynched for speaking in Bengali. They are anti-Bengal. However, we love all religions and languages. I have written poems in Rajbanshi and Ol Chiki languages. I work for the people of every religion and community.”
“The price of petrol and LPG cylinder has risen again. Inflation is growing. I don’t have the power to control this. They have taken away the powers from me. The only resource that I have is the support of the people. BJP is a party that vanishes people,” she added.
Intensifying her attack on the Election Commission, she questioned the timing of the release of the supplementary voters’ lists. “The supplementary voters’ list was published in the wee hours of the night. The BJP executes its sinister plans at such late hours of the night… Forget about independence, they are not even bothered to follow the constitution or safeguard the democratic rights of the people. They are taking away the voting rights of the people today. Tomorrow, they will implement NRC and set up detention camps. This will not happen till I am alive and the TMC government is in power. My next generation will also not allow it,” she asserted.
Claiming that eight lakh names of 27 lakh voters under adjudication have been deleted from the first supplementary list, she said, “But where is that list? Why have hard copies of that list not yet been put up in government offices so far?… I can only verify the information after that list is displayed.”
Stating that the “lack of transparency” over addition and deletion figures in the first supplementary list has left affected citizens in a fix over their subsequent move for redressal, Banerjee said the TMC would set up camps to aid such citizens with free legal consultancy.
“Only after that list gets displayed in booths can those, whose names have been unfairly deleted, fill up application forms to move tribunals. We have to fight this according to the provisions of law, and TMC will provide legal assistance to every victim free of charge,” she declared.
Without naming anyone, she said, “This person and two others from Delhi are trying to sell the country. They want to break Bengal. They want you to get merged with Bihar. I have stopped them. The information was leaked on social media. I have fought for the people from the streets to the Supreme Court.”
She also listed her government’s work in the region. “For Jalpesh Shiv Temple, we have built a skywalk at Rs 5 crore. The Mahakal temple is being built. We have established an ITI polytechnic college. Maynaguri rural hospital, which has 100 beds, has been built. The SNCU fair price shop has been started. In Maynaguri block, 41 large and medium drinking water projects have been inaugurated. More than 2 lakh people have already been benefitted… We have built a bridge over the Jarda river. We have renovated the road from Domohini Bazar to Teesta bridge… In the coming one to two years, we will ensure that clean drinking water reaches every household. We have highlighted this in our manifesto as well,” she said.
The chief minister promised that the benefits of Laxmir Bhandar will never stop. “We don’t make false promises. We keep our words. It was announced that the additional allowance will come from April 1. But, didn’t you start receiving it from March 1? They [BJP] talk about the Annapurna Bhandar scheme. However, in Bihar, they first gave Rs 10,000, and then, after returning to power after the elections, they bulldozed and demolished everything,” she said.
TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday held an election meeting in Nandigram from where Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari is contesting again.
“Those who speak of a double-engine government should know that in Nandigram, they have a triple engine– MP, MLA, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre. Still, they have given nothing to Nandigram,” Abhishek charged, referring to the BJP winning the Lok Sabha as well as Assembly seats from Nandigram.
“Take responsibility for the next 25 days, and the next five years, Nandigram is my responsibility,” he said. The TMC has fielded former Adhikari aide, Pabitra Kar, against him.