CANNING: Congress President Sonia Gandhi today said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were a "threat" to democracy and pluralism, and both of them have the "habit" of blaming previous regimes for things not done.
"The nexus between Modi and Mamata is a threat for Bengal. These two powers, full of pride, are a threat for democracy. The way Modi government is behaving is a threat for the basics of our country. It is a threat to secularism, democracy and age-old heritage of our country," she told an election rally.
Gandhi also said that the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government had given false hopes to the people of the country.
"Five years back, the TMC had asked for your votes by giving you false hopes and promises. Now it is trying to take your votes by terrorising you. Just like her, Modi too had spoken of dreams two years back," she said.
She said that both Modi and Mamata had the habit of blaming previous regimes for things not done.
"Modiji claimed that Congress has done nothing in the last 60 years. Everything was done in the last two years. I want to say that the Congress has created the constitutional bodies, strengthened the democratic set-up and had made the country self-sufficient in every sphere. Congress had created an atmosphere of peace and brotherhood," she said.
CPI-M central committee member Sujan Chakrabarty shared the platform with Gandhi, as the Congress president appealed to the people to vote for her party and the Left.
"Democratic set-up and basic principles are under threat in the country. Just like Modiji, Mamataji also keeps on saying that before she came to power no development had taken place in Bengal," Gandhi said.
Describing Trinamool Congress as "a rotten fish" which has damaged entire Bengal, Gandhi said after it was voted to power in the state five years ago it had shown its true colour by encouraging lawlessness and creating unemployment.
She said that Mamata Banerjee had promised to bring 'paribartan' (change) five years back and the Congress had supported her.
"But she has changed colour after coming to power and forgot all her promises. There is no law and order, workers are rendered jobless, youth are not getting employment. If there was development as promised by her, why the situation is such?" the Congress president said.
Gandhi also did not spare the TMC on the issue of corruption, saying "corruption is rampant everywhere" and in the same breath wondered "why Modi government has not taken any action against chit fund companies".
She asked the people not to be "fooled either by the BJP or the TMC" and said addressing those assembled to hear her, "you have to bring Bengal back to light from darkness".