Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday took on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) election slogan “ Khela hobe ” (the game will be played), and said that it was “ Khela sesh ” (game over) for Mamata Banerjee.
Using the TMC election slogan of “ Khela hobe ”, Mr. Modi, who addressed a public meeting in Purulia, said, “Didi is saying ‘ Khela hobe ’. The BJP is saying ‘ Chakri hobe ’ (there will be jobs). Didi is saying ‘ Khela hobe ’. The BJP is saying ‘ Unnayan hobe ’ (there will be development)...”.
The Prime Minister raised the issue of water scarcity in Purulia and said that while the Trinamool Congress government was busy playing its own games, it had done nothing to solve the water crisis in the region. He said the region continued to be one of the most backward regions of the country without any industrialisation.
Mr. Modi said the way in which the Trinamool Congress government worked was evident from the manner that it could not complete the Purulia piped water supply project in eight years.
“Year after year, they could not complete a bridge and now, before elections, they are talking about development,” Mr. Modi said.
During his half an hour speech, the Prime Minister made several references in Bengali and said the Trinamool government was responsible for not dealing with water scarcity and the migration of youth.
“Didi has never considered the backward [classes], Dalits and tribals stakeholders of development. The culture of cut-money, commission and tolabaji (extortion) has affected the tribals and backward [classes] most,” he said.
‘Patronising Maoists’
Accusing the Trinamool Congress of patronising the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), Mr. Modi said that the policies of the Mamata Banerjee government had created a “new breed of Maoist”.
“For political gains, the government of Didi has encouraged the violence of Maoists,” the PM said.
Purulia is an erstwhile bastion of the ultras.
The Prime Minister also accused Ms. Banerjee of pursuing “appeasement politics” and said such politics was responsible for infiltration. He made references to the Chief Minister’s statement on the Pulwama attack and the Batla House encounter.
“People of Bengal have a good memory. Bengal remembers who accused the army of plotting a coup, whose side you [Ms. Banerjee] took during the Pulwama attack and the Batla House encounter,” Mr. Modi said.
The constituencies in Purulia district will go to polls in the first phase of elections on March 27.
