Sounds of bomb explosion have replaced the melodious Rabindra Sangeeth in West Bengal, BJP President Amit Shah said on Wednesday while meeting media persons. He criticised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the state of law and order in the state. "Bengal, the place for Rabindra Sangeet, sung at every nook and corner, is now the place for major bomb blasts,” Shah said.
After winning UP, Uttarakhand, Manipur and coming to power in Goa, BJP’s slogan is now "ebar Bangla or ab ki bar Bangla (now Bengal)”, he said. “We will win most of the seats in Bengal in 2019 and we would come to power in 2021 assembly election in Bengal,” Shah declared. Asked whether the target was realistic, Shah said, “Leave that to me. That’s not your business, but mine. I will do that.” Shah had sat on the ground and ate from a banana leaf at the house of a tribal family in Naxalbari. He said he had visited Naxalbari to show that he was against Maoists but not against tribals. He said that he went there to sell the agenda of development to the remotest part of India. Many would be visiting Naxalbari soon to pay tribute to the place where the first revolution after Independence took place.
Armed with numbers, Shah attacked Mamata. He said, "The previous left government had taken massive debt of Rs 1.9 lakh cr. This government has taken Rs 3.5 lakh cr. Can you imagine that one of five people in Bengal are below the poverty line?” he asked. Shah pointed out that the state which made 25 per cent contribution to India’s GDP, now has only 4 per cent. “The bank deposit was 18 per cent of the total in 1947. But today it has gone down to 4 per cent,” he said. “Bank credit has gone down, so has FDI in the state. Today the FDI in Bengal is less than 2 per cent,” said Shah.
Shah demolished claims made by Mamata Banerjee and challenged her to prove that the stats he had given were wrong. He also disclosed how BJP government at the centre had assisted Bengal in the last three years. He said, “Under the 13th Finance Commission during UPA rule, Bengal got little more than Rs 1.3 lakh crore. But under the 14th Finance Commission, West Bengal received almost Rs 3 lakh crore. Granting aides were Rs 20,000 crore. But now under our government, it is around Rs 35,000 crore. Revenue deficit grant was Rs 13,000 crore during UPA regime. Under our government it is around Rs 15,000 crore. In every field we have increased the allocation. But the Bengal government has failed to reap the benefit.”
Shah blamed “communalisation of governance” for Bengal's mess. “This Bengal government only understands one thing—to appease a certain community. It’s deadly,” said he. Shah said he could never imagine Durga Puja and Sarswati Puja not being allowed in Bengal. “For thousands of years, this has been the tradition of Bengal. But now even Saraswati Puja and Durga Puja are not held for appeasement! And the court has to interfere. Is this Bengal?” he thundered.
He lost his cool when asked about the political plot to create Narada video. “All of them are found taking money and you ask if it is fake? Why don’t you go to them and seek their opinion?” he replied, adding that the TMC was corrupt. Shah said BJP would work hard to form next government in Bengal. “We will change all this. The golden Bangla would be brought back to its old shape,” said he.
Shah’s tour in North Bengal coincided with Mamata’s trip to Bengal, where she addressed a rally organised by separatist Kamtapur People’s party. Now, Mamata has decided to offset the Shah's grand plans by following his trip. “Yes. The chief minister would meet the same people he visited. It would take hundreds of years for them to come to power in Bengal,” said Trinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee.
Shah, however, did not reveal the grand plan BJP had for Bengal. He also refused to reveal who wanted to join the BJP. “I can only say that no scam tainted TMC leader is in touch with us,” Shah said.
