KOLKATA: BJP president Amit Shah said that the party will target three major problems in Bengal--corruption, unemployment and minority appeasement--in their attempt to gain majority seats both in 2019 Lok Sabha and 2021 Assembly elections in the State.
Speaking at a presser here on Wednesday, the BJP president said that only bomb factories are flourishing during Mamata regime. “West Bengal was one of the most industrialised states. Now, only bomb factories are blooming, other factories have closed down. In place of Rabindra Sangeet, bomb sounds are heard now,” he said. “One in five persons in this State live below the poverty line,” he added.
When asked whether BJP is targeting the 70% Hindus of the State as 30% Muslims are already with TMC, Shah replied that BJP doesn’t play majority-minority politics and accused the TMC of minority appeasement ‘against which BJP will strengthen its voice’.
On the BJP’s victory in MCD elections on Wednesday, Amit Shah said the results only showed people’s confidence on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Delhi residents’ mandate show that politics of excuse won’t work. They have in a way given a stamp of approval on Modiji’s three years of leadership. AAP should accept their defeat in Delhi,” he said.
He also refuted claims of EVM manipulation. “Same EVMs were used in 2015 Delhi elections, which AAP won. UPA-I and UPA-II also won with the same EVMs. How did they accept the results then?,” the BJP president questioned.
“We have become the major opposition party in the State in the by-elections and will be the largest party in 2019 elections and form government in 2021. With the slogan of ‘Ebar Bangla’, BJP workers will go to every household of the state to bring Narendra Modi’s winning streak to the state,” he said.
Rubbishing Mamata’s claims of conspiracy in CBI probe into Saradha, Narada and Rose Valley scams, Shah said that despite visual evidence of TMC ministers and MPs accepting bribe, Mamata Banerjee is denying the involvement. “We had given a lot of central aid for agriculture and rural electrification. But, the money did not reach the ground level. TMC is answerable to the people of Bengal for the scams,” he said.
Speaking on Mamata Banerjee’s protest against demonetisation, he said that she protested against demonetisation but did not do anything to halt the fake note inflow from Bangladesh.