LS poll an opportunity to establish democracy in West Bengal, says Shah; BJP heading towards one big zero, retorts TMC

BJP chief Amit Shah on Tuesday said the coming Lok Sabha polls would be an opportunity to "establish democracy" in West Bengal, while the state's ruling TMC retorted saying that BJP was "heading towards one big zero."

"Bomb and weapon making industries are prevalent in West Bengal. Despite Rabindra Nath Tagore's music, bomb blasts fill the air of the state. The BJP shall bring the glory back to West Bengal. The General Elections are going to be an opportunity to establish democracy in the state," said Shah while addressing a public meeting at Malda.

Reacting to Shah's speech, the TMC took to its official Twitter handle to hit back at the BJP chief: "They (BJP) don't understand the ethos of India. They don't understand the ethos of Bengal. They are heading towards one big zero. Some are saying they are desperate. Some are saying they have gone mad. Or is it a combination of both?"

 

"After listening to the BJP president Amit Shah's speech in Malda, it is obvious that they are very nervous. They know their days are numbered. They are politically scared. Their speeches are low on facts and poor in taste," said Derek O'Brien, national spokesperson of TMC, in another tweet.

BJP president Shah on Tuesday said that the coming General Elections would not only determine the future of India but that of West Bengal too.

"2019 Lok Sabha polls will not only determine the future of India but also of West Bengal. The results will tell whether the TMC government which is killing democracy remains in the state or is uprooted," said Shah in his address to the rally here.

Launching a scathing attack on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Shah said the TMC government in the state was allowing corruption and infiltration. Shah also said that music was not anymore a charm of West Bengal.

Shah said the people of West Bengal who gave a chance to Chief Minister Banerjee to serve them are not happy with her rule. "The people of West Bengal had given the Trinamool a chance to serve them by removing the communists, but seeing today's situation, they are saying that the Trinamool was a good communist."

Claiming that the TMC is targeting the cadres of other parties and several BJP workers were killed under Mamata's rule, Shah said: "More than 60 party cadres of the BJP and other political party workers were murdered in West Bengal ever since the TMC came to power in the state. They killed more than 65 people and 13,300 were injured. This situation needs to be changed."

Shah also lashed out at Chief Minister Mamata for not allowing BJP to organise the Rath Yatra in the state. "If Mamta Didi does not allow us to take the Rath Yatra, we will organise a rally. If we do not even organise a rally, then we will visit every home. They can stop our Rath Yatra but how will they prevent the lotus which is blooming in the hearts of the people of West Bengal," he said.

The BJP chief also assured the crowd that no infiltrators would be allowed if the lotus, BJP's electoral symbol, blooms in the 2019 General Elections. "I am assuring you that bring the BJP to power and we will not let any infiltrator enter West Bengal. But these people love infiltrators and that is why they (Mamata government) go against us when we talk about the NRC," he said.

"We will not allow any infiltrator to enter our motherland... I want to tell Hindu refugees from Afghanistan and Bangladesh that we have brought the National Citizenship Bill and you will get citizenship of India," Shah said, asking Chief Minister Banerjee if she would support the Citizenship Amendment Bill or not?

Comparing the NDA and the UPA government work at the Centre, Shah said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi led NDA government gave Bengal 2.5 times higher funds than the UPA government for the development of the state."

Taking a dig at the grand alliance formed by the opposition parties, Shah said: "The agenda of Mahagathbandhan is 'Modi Hatao.' However, the BJP's agenda is to remove corruption, unemployment, and poverty and to strengthen the country's defence power. They want a weak government, but we want a strong government that can defeat Pakistan.