Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday targeted the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal over the recent developments at Sandeshkhali, where a TMC leader and his supporters have been accused of sexually abusing women, attacking Enforcement Directorate officials, and grabbing land in the area. Mr. Modi asked why the leaders of the Opposition INDIA bloc — which the TMC is a member of — were silent on the issue.
“I am surprised at the leaders of the INDIA alliance. All the big leaders of the INDIA alliance have closed their eyes, mouth, and ears on Sandeshkhali like the three monkeys of Gandhiji. They held meetings together at Patna, Bengaluru, and Mumbai but the leaders of the Left and the Congress sought no answers from the Chief Minister and the government [on Sandeshkhali]. They did not even spare a sight for the women at Sandeshkhali,” Mr. Modi said, while addressing a public meeting at Arambagh in the Hooghly district.
The Prime Minister also accused Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge of allegedly saying that ‘such things happen in Bengal’ in reference to Sandeshkhali. Participating in a recent discussion on a private television channel, the Congress chief had in fact condemned the atrocities on women at Sandeshkhali; however, asked about State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s remarks about ‘jungle raj’ in the State, Mr. Kharge said that such things happen in West Bengal when the Left and Congress leaders target the Trinamool Congress.
Eye on women’s vote
Mr. Modi is on a two-day visit to West Bengal and is scheduled to address another rally at Krishnanagar on Saturday. Both the Lok Sabha constituencies of Arambagh and Krishnanagar are represented by women MPs of the TMC, Aparupa Poddar and Mahua Moitra respectively. At the rally at Arambagh, which witnessed significant participation by women, the Prime Minister raised the issue of Sandeshkhali right at the beginning of the event.
“The entire country is watching the situation of Bengal today. The whole country is sad and angry after seeing what TMC, which beats the drum of ‘Maa, Mati, and Manush’, has done to the sisters of Sandeshkhali. They should be ashamed of what they have done at Sandeshkhali,” Mr. Modi said. He added that the soul of social reformer Raja Ram Mohan Roy must be weeping after witnessing what happened in Sandeshkhali. By targeting the Trinamool Congress, as well as the Left and Congress leadership, Mr. Modi set out the Bharatiya Janata Party’s campaign in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Referring to Sheikh Shahjahan, prime accused at Sandeshkhali, being on the run for two months, the Prime Minister said, “ There must have been someone who was trying to protect him. Will you forgive such a TMC? Won’t you take revenge for what has been done to women and children. Har chot ka jawab vote se dena hoga (We have to reply to every hurt with votes),” Mr. Modi said.
‘Muslim women will evict TMC’
Mr. Shahjahan was arrested on Thursday, almost 55 days after his supporters attacked a team of ED officials. Sandeshkhali, in the Sundarbans region, has been on the boil over the past few weeks with allegations of land grab and sexual assault by a section of Trinamool Congress leaders.
The Prime Minister also raked up the issue of support for the minority vote bank of the Trinamool Congress and said that the West Bengal ruling party has become arrogant because it feels that it has the support of a particular vote bank. “On this occasion, the Muslim women and children will throw away the Trinamool Congress,” he said.
‘New model of corruption’
Mr. Modi alleged that the TMC has introduced a “new model of corruption in West Bengal, which the party has institutionalised with the active protection of the State administration”. Mr. Modi also touched on the issue of scams in West Bengal and large amounts of cash being seized from the Ministers in the State and promised the people that those who have looted the State would have to return the stolen money.
“Let me ask you, should I let this loot continue? Doesn’t this money belong to you?Yeh lootne walon ko lautana padega. [Those who have looted will have to return.] This is Modi’s guarantee,” the Prime Minister said. He went on to say that the TMC considers him as their ‘number one enemy’. “Neither Modi is afraid of their abuses, nor their attacks,” he added.
After the rally, Mr. Modi returned to Kolkata to spend the night at the Raj Bhawan, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also called on him. Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for multiple development projects worth ₹7,200 crore in Arambagh and Hooghly.
