Mamata Banerjee’s TMC has leased out Bengal to infiltrators and goons: PM Modi

KOLKATA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched a stinging attack on the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal, accusing the Mamata Banerjee-led government of indulging in corruption, shielding goons and infiltrators but opposing the Citizens Amendment Act (CAA) and Ram Navami processions in the state.
“In a way, the TMC has given West Bengal on lease to infiltrators and goons. That’s why the state government protects the infiltrators and opposes CAA which offers to give legal citizenship. You shouldn’t believe in the rumours they spread,” PM Modi said at a rally in South Dinajpur district, part of the Balurghat Lok Sabha seat where sitting MP and state BJP president Sukanta Banerjee is the candidate.
PM Modi also criticised the TMC for opposing Ram Navami celebrations in the state, and termed Calcutta high court’s ruling that allowed a Vishwa Hindu Parishad procession in Howrah as a victory of truth.
“Tomorrow the entire country is going to celebrate Ram Navami… This is the first Ram Navami after Lord Ram has been enthroned at Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. I know that the TMC, like always, tried every bit and did all kinds of conspiracies to stall Ram Navami celebrations in the state. But truth triumphs. The court has given permission. Tomorrow processions will be held with full faith and devotion,” he added.
The high court on Monday granted permission to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to hold a procession on Ram Navami in Howrah city but imposed stringent restrictions to ensure that there was no provocation for violence. Justice Jay Sengupta stipulated that no provocative slogans are to be chanted, the procession will be held with a maximum of 200 participants and the procession must proceed without stopping at any point. During the court hearing, the Bengal government highlighted unrest during last year’s procession to explain its decision.
Mamata Banerjee hit back, saying PM Modi who accuses her TMC of corruption should look in the mirror first. “The PM says TMC is a corrupt party. He should look in the mirror first. His party is filled with dacoits,” she said addressing a rally in Mainaguri in support of TMC’s Jalpaiguri candidate Nirmal Chandra Ray who is up against BJP MP Jayanta Roy and Congress-backed CPI(M) nominee Debraj Barman, according to PTI.
“BJP had sent 300 central teams to Bengal to investigate the allegations of corruption but they didn’t find anything. Now, PM Modi needs to answer the people of Bengal, what happened to the MGNREGA funds? Poor people worked under the scheme but were not paid,” she said, demanding a white paper on the investigations,
Banerjee said BJP’s leaders were ignorant about Bengalis, their culture, religious rituals and food habits, because of which they criticised eating fish.