KOLKATA: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal and the BJP, accusing them of destroying industries in the state.
Rahul Gandhi said that industries are facing a "double blow" in Bengal, alleging that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has shut down factories in the state, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to destroy the country's broader industrial sector.
The Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition made the remark while addressing an election rally in Raiganj in North Dinajpur district, once a stronghold of Congress in West Bengal.
"Once Bengal was the centre of industries in the country, but the communists and Trinamool Congress have destroyed industries in the state... BJP along with Trinamool sponsor violence, but we are against such terror," he said.
The Congress is contesting the West Bengal Assembly polls independently, without any electoral alliance, after a gap of nearly 20 years. In previous elections, the party had aligned with the TMC and the CPI(M)-led Left Front under different political circumstances.
West Bengal is set to vote for its 294 assembly seats on April 23 and 29.
The Congress leader claimed that the “hate-driven ideology” of the BJP and the RSS is destroying the Constitution, and alleged that the saffron party is engaging in vote theft.
"Hate-filled thinking of the BJP and the RSS is destroying the Constitution," he said. He further accused the RSS and the BJP of being "involved in vote theft" and "destroying democracy".
Escalating his attack on the TMC, Rahul alleged that the party was backing the BJP camp to strengthen its organisational network in West Bengal, even as the central government was withholding funds for different schemes in the state.
"Trinamool is making roads for BJP in Bengal though the latter unleashes politics of violence and hatred in the state country. I won’t like to say anything about them (BJP) because the Prime Minister is compromised. On the other side, the BJP would have been hardly visible in Bengal if the ruling party did its work like generating jobs and preventing violence," he said.
He also alleged, "The BJP government slashed funds allotted for MGNREGA. It has also not given any projects for the state in the Central budget, and in addition to this, the SIR has snatched voting rights of lakhs of people, landing them in deep anxiety and tension".
He further said, "Modi is corrupt anyway, but TMC is not lagging behind in the race of corruption either," before listing major financial scandals. Gandhi mentioned the Saradha chit fund scam, alleging that Rs 1,900 crore belonging to 17 lakh investors remains unpaid, and the Rose Valley scam involving Rs 6,600 crore and 31 lakh investors.
He further accused the ruling party of benefiting from coal smuggling, illegal mining and a "syndicate raj".
The Congress MP also claimed that TMC has failed in fulfilling its promise of providing jobs to the state's youth.
"In the 2021 assembly polls, Trinamool Congress had promised jobs to five lakh people. How many of them have got jobs, and how many industries have been closed? Now, 84 lakhs unemployed youths have applied for the monthly allowance. What happened to the jobs of the five lakh people?” the Opposition leader asked.
Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the India-US trade deal, he said, "It will lead to closure of small and mid-size industries, and cause job loss in India."
"Prime Minister Modi hugs Trump, though the US President threatens him to end his political career within a couple of minutes. Trump makes fun with Modi.
"Our great leaders, Mahatma Gandhi, Ambedkar, Nehru, Sardar Patel and Indira Gandhi never bowed down to anybody. See, where our Prime Minister stands nowadays,” he said.
Reacting to Rahul Gandhi’s criticism, Trinamool Congress spokesperson Arup Chakraborty said, “People of Bengal know very well who is paving the way for the BJP’s rise. In Kerala, Congress and BJP are friends, while in Bengal, Congress is fielding candidates against us in constituencies where we win in every election.”
Meanwhile, political observers believe that Rahul Gandhi’s attack on the TMC has widened fissures within the INDIA bloc.
Last week, at a poll rally in Nadia district, Mamata Banerjee alleged that MK Stalin, her Tamil Nadu counterpart and DMK chief, and the Congress might have a secret understanding with the Election Commission of India.
The remarks triggered a controversy among partners of the INDIA bloc, a national alliance of anti-BJP parties, ahead of assembly elections West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry.
Apart from the TMC, the INDIA bloc includes 28 opposition parties such as the Congress, CPI(M), and DMK.
(With inputs from PTI)