Narada, Saradha, Syndicate Raj corruption marred present-day scenario in Bengal: Amit Shah

BJP chief Amit Shah addressed a press conference in Kolkata on Monday where he took a jibe at the Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee—led West Bengal government and said that democracy has ceased to exist in the state and law and order have also failed there. He said, “Narada, Saradha and Syndicate Raj corruption has marred the present-day scenario in Bengal.” 

Shah also defended the party’s decision to nominate Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya as a Lok Sabha candidate from the Bhopal constituency in the Lok Sabha Elections saying the allegations against her are false and the real culprits in the case have evaded the law.

 "It is absolutely a right decision. The allegations against her are baseless. Nothing against her or Swami Aseemanad have been proved" Shah said while addressing a media conference here.

The BJP chief also raked up the contentious NRC and the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and said that refugees need not worry as after returning to power, the BJP will first bring the bill in Parliament and then implement the NRC across the country to weed out infiltrators.

"The refugees will be given citizenship and they will remain in this country with full dignity. They should not pay heed to the misleading statements by Mamata Banerjee," the BJP president said. “The refugees who have come from Bangladesh, be it Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains, or Christians, BJP has clearly signaled in its 'sankalp patra' that we will give them citizenship,” he said.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on January 8 but was not tabled in Rajya Sabha where the BJP does not have majority.

The picture of Rajya Sabha will change in favour of the BJP by 2020 and there will be no problem in passing the bill, he said.

To a question on alleged discrepancies over citizenship and educational qualifications in Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s poll affidavit filed at Amethi, Shah said the returning officer concerned should look into it.

Asked if the BJP will seek support from the Trinamool Congress in case it falls short of majority, he said, “The question does not arise. We will get full majority.”

Reiterating his charge that “democracy has ceased to exist in West Bengal”, Shah exuded confidence that people of the state will defeat the Trinamool Congress in this election.