Arambagh Mar 1 (UNI) Kickstarting his party's Lok Sabha poll campaign in West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday lambasted the INDIA bloc for its silence over the plight of women in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali and termed the state's Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government as "anti-women and anti-people".
Addressing a mammoth rally, Modi accused the state government of making all efforts to protect a perpetrator of crime, who unleashed a reign of terror in Saneshkhali.
TMC made 'all efforts to save its party leader (Sheikh Shahjahan) and that it was the BJP leader's effort that led to the arrest of the TMC strongman, Modi said.
"The country is watching what TMC has done to the sisters of Sandeshkhali. The whole country is enraged. The soul of Raja Ram Mohan Roy (social reformer) must have been pained by what happened at Sandeshkhali," he said.
Modi said now Bengal was asking the Chief Minister - 'Didi' whether the votes of some people were more important than the atrocities on women at Sandeshkahli?'.
He said while the people of the country were aghast to learn about the atrocities on poor people, especially women at Sandeshkhali, the top leaders of INDIA bloc were silent on the issue.
"INDIA alliance leaders are like the three monkeys of Gandhiji who kept their eyes, ears, and mouths shut," Modi said. Quoting the Congress Chief ,he said "Arey chhoddo, Bengal mein toh yeh sab chalta rheta hai" (Boss leave it, these things happen in Bengal).
Calling upon the people to ensure the end of the Maa, Mati, Manus (Mamata Banerjee's pet slogan) regime, Modi said the state would not develop unless the TMC was defeated in the election.
Modi said the TMC's arrogance about having a particular vote bank will get shattered in the coming polls and Muslim women will vote for the BJP in large numbers this time.
Modi expressed his happiness over the presence of a large number of people, particularly women, at the meeting.
The BJP is eyeing 35 seats out of a total 42. The party bagged a record 18 seats in the 2019 Parliament poll.
Modi called upon the people to come in large numbers and vote for the BJP in the Lok Sabha poll.
The Prime Minister alleged that the TMC has been a stumbling block for development in Bengal, be it rail, road, health, and other sectors, which were advancing well in other parts of the country.
" The TMC is blocking every scheme of the centre formulated for the welfare of the people of Bengal". he said.
"Besides this, the party in power was corrupt in all spheres of life, be it ration scams, teacher appointment scam, employment in the municipalities and whatnot?" he said.
He defended the stoppage of the central funds in some sectors, saying the funds were siphoned off.
Modi said those who looted West Bengal have to return the loot. "Those who looted West Bengal have to return the loot", adding, it is "Modi's guarantee that loots will be forfeited".
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