Launching a blistering attacking against the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah today said that for Bengal, this election is not to re-elect Narendra Modi as prime minister but to make Bengal 'Sonar Bangla' again.
"What happened to Bengal? Where did 'Sonar Bangla' go? Bengalis in India are looking for it today. All are looking at Bengal...For this nation, it might be an election to make Modiji PM once again but for Bengal, the election is to make Bengal, Sonar Bangla," Amit Shah said. While addressing a massive rally in West Bengal's East Midnapore, Amit Shah attacked the Mamata Banerjee government over chit fund scam and said that Mamata Banerjee's paintings were bought by chit fund owners for crores of rupees.
BJP president Amit Shah also raised the issue of the contentious Citizenship Bill. He said, "I would like to ask Mamataji if she will support the Citizenship Amendment Bill in the Rajya Sabha. Tell the people of Bengal." He said, "I would like to tell all the refugees in West Bengal that BJP and Narendra Modi government will grant them the citizenship."
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Mocking the entry of Priyanka Gandhi into active politics, he said a government run by a dynasty could not serve the people but could only provide a "majboor government". "During the UPA rule, we had witnessed huge scams such as 2G. Now the third G has jumped on the bandwagon. Now, we have Priyanka G (Gandhi). What will be the amount of the scam? "So now, they (the Congress) want to add 2G and the third G and indulge in more corruption," Shah said.
Where is our Sonar Bangal?
What has happened to the great land of Bengal? People of West Bengal want change and 2019 Lok Sabha election is an election to realise the dream of 'Sonar Bangla'. pic.twitter.com/0Zs95uI3j5— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) January 29, 2019
Vowing to uproot the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal, he said if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) formed the next government in the state, it would ensure that each and every defrauded investor in chit funds got back their money.
The TMC was quick to react. The Banerjee-led party dismissed Shah's charges as "baseless" and alleged that the "BJP is trying to malign our party". Making pointed attacks, Shah said, "Are you all aware of Mamata Banerjee's qualities? She is a very good painter. Even if someone is a great painter, how much would his paintings cost? (Rs) 10,000, (Rs) 20,000, (Rs) one lakh or (Rs) 10 lakh. But her paintings were brought by chit fund owners for crores of rupees."
"So, will the chit fund owners ever be arrested if the person, whose paintings they had brought, is the chief minister?," he asked a public rally at Kanthi in East Midnapore district of West Bengal. Claiming that over 25 lakh people of the state had lost their life's savings due to the chit fund scam, Shah said if the BJP came to power in West Bengal, all the money that was looted would be recovered.
"Give us one chance. We will ensure the recovery of the money looted by the chit funds. They (TMC) cannot do it. We will do it," he said. The BJP president said the upcoming Lok Sabha election would be about restoring democracy in the state. "Narendra Modi will be elected as the prime minister again after the Lok Sabha election. But in West Bengal, the polls will be about restoring democracy," he said.
In West Bengal, Congress government brought poverty, Communist government brought violence and Mamata’s government has unleashed the menance of poverty, violence and chaos of the syndicate, all at the same time. #BJP4SonarBangla pic.twitter.com/cIClRKK06e
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) January 29, 2019
"I am sure that in the coming Lok Sabha polls, we (BJP) will ensure the immersion of the TMC government in the state. On the day of (vote) counting, you will witness the fall of the TMC government. The (vote) counting of the Lok Sabha polls will be over by 1 pm and by 2 pm, the government in Bengal will fall," Shah said.
"If you want to make Bengal free of cow smugglers and infiltrators, then you have to elect the BJP. Only Narendra Modi and the BJP government can do it," he added. Listing the development projects of the Modi government, Shah alleged that the TMC dispensation in the state was not letting these initiatives reach the people as Banerjee was afraid that it would bolster Modi's popularity.
"The West Bengal government has come out of the Ayushman Bharat scheme. When the poor in other states will be able to avail the health insurance benefits under the scheme, those in Bengal will be deprived of it," he said. Banerjee and the TMC government were only changing the names of various development projects initiated by the Modi government and trying to steal the credit of the Centre, Shah alleged.
He also criticised the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal and said the upcoming Lok Sabha polls would be about restoring democracy in the state. "Narendra Modi will get elected as prime minister again after the Lok Sabha election. But in West Bengal, the polls will be about restoring democracy," Shah said.
HIGHLIGHTS
- WB government has come out of the Ayushman Bharat scheme: Amit Shah.
- Only BJP government can stop cow smuggling in Bengal: Amit Shah.
- Post rally, supporters of the BJP and TMC pelted stones at each other.