BJP leaders from outside campaigning in Bengal responsible for spike in COVID-19 cases, says Mamata

Trinamool Congress supremo also blamed the Election Commission (EC) for curtailing her campaigning time.

April 18, 2021 04:05 pm | Updated 04:07 pm IST - Tehatta (WB)

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during an election rally. File

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during an election rally. File

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said BJP leaders “from Delhi” who are bringing “outsiders” for campaigning, without COVID-19 tests, are responsible for the spike in coronavirus cases in the state.

The Trinamool Congress supremo also blamed the Election Commission (EC) for curtailing her campaigning time, for the ongoing assembly polls, by five days while turning a blind eye to her plea to club the last three phases of the polls in the wake of the surge in coronavirus cases.

Also read: West Bengal Assembly elections | Coronavirus-positive Congress candidate Rezaul Haque dies at Kolkata hospital

“Leaders from Delhi are bringing in outsiders infected with the virus during campaigning without bothering to conduct COVID-19 tests.

“I am not saying being infected with the virus is a crime. But the reckless act of the BJP has triggered the sudden rise in the number of coronavirus cases in recent times,” the Chief Minister said.

Claiming that a BJP candidate in Howrah district went on campaigning despite being infected by the virus, Ms. Banerjee asked “Why couldn’t he sit at home and desist from campaigning?” “Our party never takes such a risk,” she added.

Alleging that the EC is showing an “unfavourable attitude” towards her, the Chief Minister said “Earlier they had taken away an entire day of my campaigning. Now in the last three phases, it has curtailed campaign time by 4 days. As a result, I will not be able to address 20 meetings in south Bengal districts.”

Cautioning people against allowing “outsiders to occupy Bengal,” the TMC supremo said, “This election is for saving the honour of the womenfolk of Bengal and safeguarding the integrity of the state.”

Reminding the electorate that she did not allow the National Population Register (NPR) exercise in Bengal, she said “Remember your vote is important to prevent them (BJP) from coming to power, to prevent them from introducing NPR, National Register of Citizens (NRC), and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).” “When people protest against misdeeds and oppression, the BJP instigates firing and kills people. BJP only knows to loot, instigate riots and kill people,” Ms. Banerjee alleged.

Wishing people on the occasion of the approaching Annapurna Puja, Basanti Puja, Ramnavami, and Ramadan, she chanted ‘Chandi shlokas’ and then wished members of the Muslim community.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.