Sonarpur. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said that its (BJP’s) ambition to oust the democratically elected Trinamool Congress (TMC) government after the Lok Sabha elections will remain unfulfilled.
Addressing an election rally in Jadavpur constituency here, Banerjee said that the BJP’s statement that ‘the days of the TMC government will be numbered after the Lok Sabha elections’ is akin to a veiled threat, but these ambitions will not be fulfilled. He said, “The BJP should not dare to try to topple a democratically elected government. Its (BJP’s) ambitions of success in the Lok Sabha elections will be shattered because the mandate will be with the TMC.”
He said, “My analysis of the last six phases is that the BJP will not cross the 200-seat mark, while the opposition alliance ‘India’ will come to power in Delhi, in which West Bengal and Trinamool will play an important role.” Banerjee claimed that there is a contest between TMC-BJP in West Bengal. He accused the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) of having a secret alliance with the BJP.
Without naming West Bengal Assembly leader Shubhendu Adhikari, Banerjee said, “A leader from East Medinipur district is issuing instructions to district and police officials to manipulate election results.” She criticized the Narendra Modi government for benefiting big industrialists like Adani and Ambani, saying that stakes in the defense sector and important public sector undertakings were sold in the interest of big businesses, while the price of LPG reached more than Rs 1,000 per cylinder.
Accusing the BJP of showing dictatorial tendencies like (Adolf) Hitler and (Joseph) Goebbels, Banerjee warned against its alleged agenda of changing the Constitution, distorting history and “driving out” backward caste citizens from the country through the NRC and CAA.
He said, “We respect the judiciary but after the summer vacation, we will go to the higher court against the order of the Calcutta High Court.” The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday declared the OBC status given to several classes in West Bengal since 2010 as illegal, sparking a political debate in the midst of the Lok Sabha elections.
Referring to the Sandeshkhali issue, the chief minister claimed that the BJP’s plan to create unrest by making false claims about atrocities on women has backfired and “it is now plotting communal violence which will not succeed.” Referring to cyclone Remal, he said, “We are taking all preventive measures. Do not be afraid. Keep all power consuming units switched off in your homes except lights and fans.”