Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Tuesday alleged that the writ of extortion syndicates having allegiance to the ruling Trinamool Congress run in every sphere of life in West Bengal and asserted that the BJP can only usher in a better life for its people.
She said that the syndicates in West Bengal have gone to such extent that they tried to "extort money" from the family of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, from someone who is an MP of Banerjee's Trinamool Congress.
Sitharaman said that members of a syndicate had demanded money from Jadavpur MP Sugata Bose when he was repairing his ancestral home in Bhowanipore area in south Kolkata, where Netaji had lived.
"Seeing such situation, Sugata Bose decided to give up politics here and to go back to USA," she said.
While announcing the name of Bengali film actress Mimi as TMC candidate from Jadavpur, the TMC supremo had said that Bose did not get permission to contest from Harvard University where he teaches.
Sitharaman claimed that the syndicates have the last word in the state and they do not even care whether it is Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose or a member of Parliament from their own party.
"There is no respect for anybody in the state and the writ of syndicates run in every sphere of life," she said, claiming that from construction of village roads to highways, everywhere the presence of extortionists is felt.
She claimed that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre is providing several welfare schemes, but the people of the state have been deprived of these benefits by Mamata Banerjee.
Sitharaman said that the Prime Minister has rushed to help victims of cyclone Fani in Odisha as he did during the Kerala floods "as it is his duty."
She said that the West Bengal Chief Minister had refused to answer the Prime Minister's telephone call twice and that is why he had called state Governor K N Tripathi.
Sitharaman said that Banerjee has asserted that she will speak to the new prime minister after the elections, but she should know that the next PM of the country will also be Narendra Modi.
She claimed that the people of Bengal were deprived of assistance from the Centre, asking "whether Banerjee is the chief minister to serve the people of the state or to show her vanity."
Claiming that 55,408 were killed in violence in West Bengal during the 34-year Communist rule from 1977 to 2011, Sitharaman said "Mamata didi is copying the violent rule of the communists."
She claimed that neither TMC, nor the Communists have any place in West Bengal.
Asserting that Modi is the only hope for giving the people of the state a better future, Sitharaman said that instead of ushering in parivartan (change) in the state, Banerjee is copying the communists.
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