Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged here on Thursday that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was indulging in politics over the dead in the flyover collapse, and targeted her on various corruption cases and the Narada news sting.
Speaking at a meeting in Asansol, part of his second series of election meetings in West Bengal, Mr. Modi raised the pitch on the flyover issue, accusing the Chief Minister of boycotting meetings called by the Centre.
The Prime Minister addressed three rallies in the day — in Birpara, Asansol and Siliguri, the three constituencies where the BJP had done well in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and is trying hard to cling on to its vote share in the Assembly polls.
Big tragedy“The flyover collapsed, such a big tragedy ... But what Didi [Mamata Banerjee] did? The first thing she did was declaring it was the Left Front which gave the contract [for the project],” Mr. Modi said at the meeting in Asansol, adding that the disaster was God’s message to people to save West Bengal from Trinamool Congress.
The Prime Minister referred to the Saradha scam and the Narada sting operation at all the meetings. Accusing Ms. Banerjee of being in a league with corruption, he made references to cash changing hands on camera in the Narada scam.
Where is change?“ Didi , earlier you resigned over corruption charges [against fellow Ministers]. Now what kind of paribartan (change) has come over you Didi ,” he said at one of the rallies.
The Prime Minister targeted the government on the law and order situation in the State, and for the increasing number of “bomb-making factories”.
“Now TMC [Trinamool Congress] stands for T for terror, M for Maut (death) and C for corruption,” he said.
While the Left indulged in “scientific rigging,” the Trinamool was involved in “scientific corruption”, the Prime Minister said.
Seeking votes for development, Mr. Modi said that all States in which the BJP was in power had witnessed all-round development.
“You have seen enough of the Left and the Trinamool which have done everything to destroy West Bengal. Give one chance to the BJP and we will show you what development means,” he said.
Scheduled Tribe statusThe Prime Minister tried to win over the tea garden workers by talking about their plight at the Siliguri rally, and addressed the concerns of people in Darjeeling by stating that his government was working to ensure that 11 different hill communities were brought under the Scheduled Tribes category.
