RANCHI/KOLKATA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, campaigning in Jharkhand’s Dumka on Tuesday, said at a rally that action against the corrupt will increase after June 4, the day Lok Sabha results are declared.
At another rally in West Bengal’s Ashoknagar, North 24 Pargana, the PM hit out at Trinamool chief and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for “betraying” the trust of the OBCs. “The Calcutta High Court has declared that it was unconstitutional to give OBC certificates to 77 Muslim communities. The TMC government has snatched the rights of lakhs of OBC youths, going against what Ambedkar had stood for,” he said.
In Jharkhand’s Dumka, the PM said the Congress and JMM wanted him removed from power to continue with scams.
The voting is due in Dumka along with Godda and Rajmahal in Santhal Pargana on June 1. “Leaders of INDIA bloc must hear it loud and clear: the more they try to malign the image of Modi, the more lotuses will bloom with people’s efforts,” said Modi, adding, “Try to recall how Naxalism kept growing under the Congress rule. Those who are most affected by the Naxalism are tribal families.”
Jharkhand, the PM said, was facing another threat: infiltration. “Santhal Pargana is the worst affected by it as the population of tribals is decreasing rapidly while the population of infiltrators is increasing. Life of tribal girls are being targeted by infiltrators…they are being burnt alive,” said the PM.
At the Bengal rally later, the PM said after the Calcutta HC order whatever the CM said surprised him. “I was surprised to see the kind of statements she made. The court exposed the treachery of Trinamool Congress. She questioned some of the judges. Will goons be sent after the judges now?” the PM said.
The Prime Minister also criticised Mamata for saying that she would support INDIA bloc parties in Delhi. “If you give one vote to the CPM, then it would go to the TMC,” he said.
The Calcutta High Court had last week struck down the OBC status of several classes in West Bengal granted since 2010, finding such reservations to vacancies in services and posts in the state illegal.
Tribals under attack
At a rally in Dumka, the PM sought to caution the people against attempts being made by infiltrators to occupy land of the tribals, saying Santhal Pargana is the latest victim of such attempts. “Their (tribals’) population is decreasing rapidly,” he said.