“Bengal has brought together the nation through ‘Vande Mataram’ and on this land CM Mamata Banerjee was terming people ‘Bahiragoto (outsiders). No Indian is an outsider here, they are children of Bharat Mata”
PM Modi at Contai rally
Biswabrata Goswami
CONTAI, 24 MARCH: With the high-voltage political campaign gaining momentum, Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is back in West Bengal on Wednesday attacked Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee at an election rally in Contai and said, “2 May, Didi jachhe, asol parivartan asche (Didi out, real change in).”
Amidst the presence of a large crowd, Mr Modi said, “Didi is talking about ‘duare sarkar (government at the doorstep), but she will be shown the door on 2 May.”
Expressing “wonder” over the “outsider” terminology used by Mamata Banerjee to refer to the saffron leaders, Modi said, “Bengal has brought together the nation through ‘Vande Mataram’ and on this land CM Mamata Banerjee was terming people ‘Bahiragoto (outsiders). No Indian is an outsider here, they are children of Bharat Mata.”
He said that Bengal was the land of icons like Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Rabindranath Tagore and Subhas Chandra Bose and on this land, no Indian was an outsider.
He at the same time announced that if voted to power, a son of the soil will be made the BJP chief minister of the state.
“We are being called ‘tourists’, fun is being made of us, we are being insulted. Didi, people of Rabindranath’s Bengal don’t consider anybody outsider,” Modi added.
The prime minister said that Mamata insulted the people of Nandigram with false accusations, and people would give her a befitting reply.
“You are maligning Nandigram and its people before the entire country. This is the same Nandigram that gave you so much. The people of Nandigram will not forgive you and will give you a befitting reply,” he said, apparently referring to the 10 March incident in which the chief minister was injured.
Modi said that BJP would make every scheme in the state scam-free and bring in transparency, hitting out at the TMC over ‘cut money’, ‘tolabaji’ (extortion) and ground-level corruption.
“The relief for Amphan was looted through the ‘bhaipo (nephew) window’,” he alleged.
Hitting out at Mamata, Modi asked, “West Bengal is asking who looted Amphan fund, ration…people affected by Amphan are still suffering. Didi, Bengal wants to know who looted the relief for Amphan?”
The prime minister was campaigning in Contai, the hometown of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikar.
It was a sight for the electorate as Sisir and Suvendu Adhikari stood alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi sending a clear message to supporters across Assembly constituencies that all of them are supporting the BJP.
While on stage, Prime Minister patted Suvendu on his back at least twice while shaking hands with Sisir.
Soumendhu Adhikari, another one from the clan, who had joined BJP according to leaders, was present backstage.
On BJP’s commitment to the development of Bengal, Modi said, “TMC’er khela sesh hobe, bikash arambho hobe. The development of Bengal is BJP’s commitment. We will work very hard for Bengal’s future… ‘Bangla chai, BJP sarkar’.”
