Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched a scathing attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during a rally in Bongaon, North 24 Parganas on Tuesday. Shah accused the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of betraying its promise of governance for "Maa, Maati, Manush," alleging that Banerjee's administration now caters to "Mullah, Madrasa, and Mafia." He criticized the TMC government for providing monthly honorariums to Imams while neglecting priests and temple custodians, highlighting what he sees as preferential treatment towards a specific community over others.
Image source: NDTV LINK
Shah also took aim at Banerjee's stance on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), accusing her of spreading misinformation about the law. He asserted that the CAA aims to grant asylum and permanent residency to persecuted minority settlers from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. Shah further alleged that the TMC was attempting to grant Indian citizenship to infiltrators while opposing the CAA, which seeks to provide permanent residency to oppressed minorities, including the Matuas from Bangladesh. Amit Shah was campaigning for BJP candidate Shantanu Thakur, who is contesting against TMC’s Biswajit Das for a fresh term in the Lok Sabha from Bongaon.
Amit Shah Lashes out at TMC
Addressing a rally at Bongaon in the North 24 Parganas on Tuesday, the Union Home Minister said the TMC government provided a monthly honorarium to Imams but not a penny to priests and custodians of temples.
"The TMC came to power on the slogan of 'Maa, Mati, Manush'. However, their focus has now shifted to 'Mullah, Madrasa, Mafia'. The Imams here are paid an honorarium but the priests and keepers of temples get nothing. While there are no obstacles to Tazias (procession of Muslim mourners on Muharram), there are regular roadblocks to taking out immersion processions on Durga Puja and Kali Puja. Should this be allowed to continue," Mr Shah said.
He also slammed Mamata Banerjee for spurning the invite to the 'Pran Pratishtha' of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya and said, "Despite receiving a formal invitation, she did not attend the inauguration ceremony (at the Ram temple) to appease a certain vote bank. You (people) are not her vote bank, the infiltrators are. She is scared of rubbing her vote bank the wrong way."
Also accusing the chief minister of spreading falsehoods over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), he said she was 'misleading' people on the central legislation that is aimed at granting asylum and permanent residency to immigrant minority settlers from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
"Mamata Banerjee is misleading the people saying the CAA could invite trouble for the people. I want to assure you all that the legislation is not aimed at bringing any harm to anyone. All bonafide citizens can go on leading their lives here with dignity. No power in the world can stop Hindu, Sikh, and Jain refugees from becoming citizens of the country," he said, alleging that the ruling TMC was trying to turn infiltrators into Indian citizens while coming out in Opposition to the CAA, which is aimed at granting permanent residency to oppressed minorities, including the Matuas who crossed over from Bangladesh.
"I want to remind Mamata Banerjee that the central government, and not state governments, reserves the right to grant citizenship," he added.
Assuring that the Matua community, which inhabits Bongaon and elsewhere in the North 24 Parganas, would be able to avail rights under the CAA if the BJP comes to power in Bengal, Mr Shah added, "Four phases of polling have been completed. The elections to 380 seats in the Lok Sabha, including 18 in Bengal, are done and dusted. I can tell you today, that of the 380 seats for which polling has already happened, PM Modi has secured absolute majority, winning 270 seats. The battle for us now is to cross 400-plus seats."
Warning Mamata Banerjee that those involved in 'scams' wouldn't be spared, the Union Home Minister said, "From 'cut money' culture to infiltration, from bomb blasts to Bhatija's (CM's nephew Abhishek Banerjee) goons harassing people, from 'Syndicate Raj' to utter lawlessness, Bengal is staring at a state of complete lawlessness. Only Narendra Modi-Ji can save the state from plunging further into the abyss. Those involved in the chit fund scam, teacher recruitment scam, municipal recruitment scam, ration scam, cow and coal smuggling should be ready to go to jail. No one will be spared."
Amit Shah was campaigning for BJP candidate Shantanu Thakur, who is pitted against the TMC's Biswajit Das in his bid to secure a fresh term in the Lok Sabha from Bangaon.
PM Modi Also Lashes Out on TMC Recently
Accusing the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of “indulging in appeasement politics” to protect its vote bank in West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday alleged that the party led by Mamata Banerjee has “turned Hindus into second-class citizens” in the state.
“The TMC has turned Bengal into a den of corruption… People have come up with the slogan ‘chor dhoro jail bharo’ (arrest the thieves, put them in jail) … The recent CAG report said that the West Bengal government could not provide utilisation certificates for Rs 230,000 crore. Where did this money go, and into whose pockets? But they will have to give an account to every penny. Not a single person who indulged in corruption will be spared,” Modi said at a BJP rally in Barrackpore.
At another BJP rally in Chinsurah in Howrah district, Modi alleged that INDIA bloc parties have made “corruption their common character”. “While many INDI Alliance parties indulge in corruption secretly, TMC does it openly. It has made corruption a full-time business. They call people of India as ‘bohiragoto’ (outsiders), but illegal immigrants from other countries are given a stay in Bengal,” the PM alleged.
He also listed out five guarantees for the people of Bengal: “no reservation on the basis of religion, reservation for SC/STs and OBCs to continue, nobody shall be prevented from celebrating the festivities of Ram Navami, nobody can overrule the verdict of Supreme Court on Ram Temple and nobody can overrule the law on Citizenship Amendment Act”.
General Election in West Bengal
The 2024 Indian general election in West Bengal has begun across all 7 phases from April 19 to June 1. The purpose is to elect 42 members of the 18th Lok Sabha, with the results scheduled to be announced on June 4. With each phase, voters will play a decisive role in shaping the political landscape of the state and contributing to the broader democratic process of India.
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