Kolkata, March 7 (). As part of the Parivartan Yatra organized by West Bengal BJP, Union Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting and Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnav addressed a huge public meeting in Shrirampur Assembly. During this, he called upon the people of the state to take a pledge for change in West Bengal and form the BJP government.
Addressing the public meeting, the Union Minister said that a resolution should be taken for change in West Bengal from this holy land of Shrirampur. He said that this historical land is a symbol of the rich cultural and intellectual heritage of Bengal. Bengal’s first newspaper was published here and the place is also home to one of the oldest colleges in Asia. Referring to the world famous Mahesh Rath Yatra organized in Mahesh, Shrirampur, he said that he himself had visited there. The Union Minister said that it is necessary to protect the identity and cultural pride of Bengal. He said that those who once won elections in the name of Bengal’s identity are today putting that identity in danger.
Expressing concern, Vaishnav said that today the question is being raised in Bengal whether traditional festivals like Durga Puja and Kali Puja will be celebrated freely or not. He alleged that illegal infiltrators were being invited into the state, which was posing a threat to the social and cultural structure of the state. Criticizing the priorities of the state government, he said that more budget was being allocated to madrassa education while ignoring technical education. He raised the question whether this is not a betrayal of the youth of the state, who need modern and technical education.
Referring to the recurring corruption cases and incidents of atrocities against women, he strongly criticized West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s statement in which she had advised women not to go out at night. He termed such comments as shameful. He asked the public whether this was the Bengal that people had imagined. He said that Bengal has to be made safe for the coming generations and vote bank politics has to be ended in the state.
Vaishnav alleged that under the present government, Katmani is also taken from the beneficiaries of Lakshmi Bhandar Scheme. He said that Bengal, which was once famous across the world for its cultural and intellectual achievements, is today facing serious disarray. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Central Government is making continuous efforts for development. He said that compared to 12 years ago, the budget of Railways has increased significantly today, which shows the commitment of the Central Government towards the development of infrastructure.
He said that in the last 11 years, about 45 kilometers of work has been completed in the Kolkata Metro network, which has significantly expanded the urban transport system. But the state government led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee does not cooperate in many important projects. Giving the example of Chingrighata project, he said that despite the instructions of the court, the state government is obstructing the development works, because their agenda is not development but destruction.
During the association, Vaishnav announced that the development work of Shrirampur Railway Station will start from next week and he will give formal information of its acceptance to the District BJP President. He assured that the Modi government is committed to further development of the region and such projects are an example of the central government’s commitment to public welfare and strengthening infrastructure.
Referring to other stalled projects, the Union Minister said that no progress has been made in the Nandigram Railway Project due to lack of cooperation from the state government. He challenged the Chief Minister and said that if he is really concerned about the public then he should cooperate in taking this project forward. He said that the Modi government started the Ayushman Bharat scheme to provide health security to the poor, but due to political rivalry and vote bank politics, the state government did not allow it to be implemented in West Bengal.
He alleged that the ruling party was encouraging illegal infiltration for electoral gains, which was detrimental to the long-term interests of the people of Bengal. At the end of the address, the Union Minister said that the people of West Bengal have seen the rule of Communists, have seen the rule of Congress and now are also seeing the rule of Trinamool Congress. The condition of the state has been continuously worsening in every phase. In such a situation, he called upon the people to come forward to save Bengal. He appealed to the public to give a chance to the Bharatiya Janata Party and take a pledge to protect the identity of Bengal and rebuild the state.
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PSK