Launching a scathing attack on TMC chief Mamata Banerjee and the CPI(M), Union Home Minister Amit Shah claimed Wednesday that West Bengal’s capital had turned into a “city of slums” under their rule.
Shah was addressing a rally in North Dumdum on the first day of his campaign for the Phase-2 of state Assembly elections, slated for April 29.
Referring to Kolkata, Shah lamented: “Under Left and Didi’s rule, the entire city has become a city of slums. While many cities in the country have started to become slum free, Didi (Mamata) does not consider it necessary. She secures her vote bank by bringing in these infiltrators into the slums.”
Urging the voters to “free” the state from what he called the “clutches of infiltrators” and bring back the “old pride of West Bengal”, the Home Minister said: “ For years in Sandeshkhali, an infiltrator carried out atrocities on women, but the CM kept quiet because he was an infiltrator and a TMC worker.”
Referring to the RG Kar rape incident, he said “Didi should be ashamed as a woman CM”, adding that if the BJP is voted to power, “even a small girl can head out safely after May 5”.
Shah alleged that “TMC goons” were threatening people from heading out on April 29, the voting day, adding that: “I am saying this to the TMC goons – do not venture out on April 29, otherwise the goons will have a problem.”
Refuting Mamata’s allegations of the BJP trying to elect an outsider CM in the state, Shah said: “Mamata Didi is misleading the people by saying the CM will be an outsider, but I am saying that the CM will be someone from Bengal, who has studied in a Bengali medium school, and can speak Bengali. Didi, listen to this, the new CM will be from Bengal but not your nephew.” He added: “Time has come to remove the ‘Maa, Maati, Manush’ government. Didi’s only agenda is to make her nephew the CM.”
Further slamming the Congress party, the Home Minister said: “I want to tell Rahul ‘baba’ (Gandhi) that in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, the Congress will not even cross double digits. In West Bengal, you may not even be able to open your account, and in Assam, the Congress will face its biggest defeat ever.”
Training his guns at Mamata, Shah said, “Mamata Didi, you are sitting with this same Congress. Your situation is also going to worsen.”
Referring to the Pahalgam terror attack, the BJP leader said: “Modi ji came and removed Article 370, which the Congress and its ‘chatte batte’ partner TMC had kept. The TMC and Congress governments would feed the terrorist biryani. But Modi ji did a surgical strike after the Uri attack, and Operation Sindoor after the Pahalgam attack. Congress calls Modi ji a terrorist… Rahul baba, the more you belittle PM Modi or sling mud at him, the lotus will bloom even more.”
He also blamed the TMC for loss of industries in the state, alleging that over 6,000 companies have left West Bengal under Mamata’s rule.
He claimed that on May 4, the counting day, it will be “goodbye for Didi”.
Late Tuesday night, Shah also held a meeting with Bengal BJP cadre and party leaders to discuss the strategy for the second phase of elections. (With inputs from PTI)