Ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday lashed out at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and accused the TMC government of failing to ensure the safety of women in the state.
Addressing a public meeting at Palli Mangal Club Ground in Mayureshwar, Shah strongly criticized Banerjee’s comments advising women not to step out of the house after 7 pm following the RC Kar rape case.
Amit Shah said, “Mamata didi says that women should not come out of the house after 7 pm. Mamta didi, have some shame, despite being a woman Chief Minister yourself, you could not protect the sister of Bengal.”
Presenting the BJP as an alternative, Shah said, “You just form the BJP government once, we will create a Bengal where even a small girl can go out on a scooter at 1 in the night. There will be no incidents like Sandeshkhali, RG Kar, Durgapur Law College or South Kolkata Law College.”
Stepping up his attack on Banerjee, Shah said, “Just now I was watching Mamata Didi’s speech. She was scaring the majority community here, saying that if TMC is no more, the majority community will not exist. During her rule, there were riots in Murshidabad, attacks on Ram Navami, Saraswati Puja was banned – where had she gone then?”
Shah also said that the upcoming assembly elections will prove to be a turning point for the state.
He said, “TMC goons will no longer be able to terrorize the people of Bengal with bomb blasts. The people of Bengal will answer bombs with ballot papers and answer fear with faith. I want to tell the people of Bengal to look for the lotus symbol on the ballot paper. The BJP government will take the responsibility of finding all the goons of TMC.”
He further said, “Today I am telling the TMC goons to stay locked in their homes on April 23, otherwise on May 4 you will be selectively put behind the bars.”
Shah said, “On April 23, no TMC goon will be able to harm even a single hair of the voters of Bengal.”
Accusing the Union Minister of not giving land for border fencing, the Union Minister said, “TMC is not giving land to BSF for border fencing. Within 45 days of the formation of our government in West Bengal, land will be given for fencing the state border. We will remove illegal immigrants not only from West Bengal but from the entire country.”
Shah accused the ruling party of ignoring public concerns like water shortage in Mayureshwar. “These TMC goons, who roam around wearing goggles and collect bribes, cannot see the water problem of Mayureshwar,” he said.
Highlighting the Centre’s contribution, he said, “Modi ji got Gurudev’s Shanti Niketan included in the UNESCO heritage list and Bengali language got the status of classical language.”
Reiterating the party’s commitment towards implementing the Uniform Civil Code in West Bengal, he said, “BJP will bring UCC in Bengal and after the implementation of UCC, the practice of quadriplegic marriage will end.”
Elections for the 294 members of the West Bengal Assembly will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, and counting of votes will take place on May 4.
