Ahead of the first phase of the Lok Sabha election on April 19, in which three seats in north Bengal will go to polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday held rallies in Cooch Behar.
Both held public meetings about 28km apart in the border district and addressed issues including the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. While Ms. Banerjee addressed supporters at Mathabhanga, Mr. Modi held a rally at Raas Mela grounds at the heart of Cooch Behar town.
“The INDIA alliance of Trinamool Congress, Congress and Left are indulging in the politics of lies and rumours. They have never cared for the marginalised communities like Rajbanhshis, Matuas and Namasudras. Now when the BJP government has brought CAA, they are spreading rumours and lies. It is Modi ki guarantee to provide citizenship to those who have faith in Maa Bharati,” said Mr. Modi.
Ms. Banerjee said CAA was connected with the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and said “no CAA, NRC will happen” in West Bengal. “They were screaming CAA, CAA ahead of the polls. CAA is the head and NRC is the tail. Now, they are saying that a priest can give citizenship. How can this be possible under the law? There should be a limit to their lies,” she said.
Ms. Banerjee expressed fears that after the CAA, the BJP government at the Centre will implement the Uniform Civil Code. She said the moment people register themselves as foreigners, they will not be able to avail government welfare schemes or services. “They will not be able to vote. If a priest can give the clearance for citizenship, why have census officials been included in the committee,” she asked.
Targeting the BJP, Ms. Banerjee said “one can trust a cobra but not the BJP”. “The BJP is asking you to enroll names for Awas Yojna again. Why will the names be enrolled again? They want further enrollment so that they can remove them. You can trust a cobra, snake charmers even pet it, but you can never trust the BJP,” she said.
Mr. Modi said the Lok Sabha elections are to make India the third biggest economy. “We cannot afford a weak government in Delhi. Today the world says that Modi is a strong leader, Modi takes tough and big decisions. I take big decisions so that the aspirations of 140 crore Indians can be fulfilled,” he said.
The Prime Minister touched upon the Sandeshkhali issue and said it is only the BJP that can stop the atrocities on mothers and sisters here. “The whole of Bengal, the whole country has seen how the TMC government used all its strength to save the culprits of Sandeshkhali,” Mr. Modi said.
Ms. Banerjee sought the intervention of Election Commission of India and said because of actions of central investigation agencies there is no level-playing field in these elections. “I humbly request the EC to see how BJP is doing hooliganism. How BSF, CISF, Income Tax and NIA are working in the interest of the BJP. There is no democratic level-playing field,” she said.
The BJP has fielded Nisith Pramanik from Cooch Behar who won the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from the same seat with a margin of over 50,000 votes. The Trinamool has fielded Jagadish Chandra Basunia.
