Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday lashed out at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee while inaugurating the new slogan for the 2021 West Bengal elections.
In Kolkata to inaugurate the NSG eastern headquarters in New Town, Shah bellowed the slogan, “Ar Noy Annay (no more injustice)”. A CD comprising the song is going to be circulated across the state and advertisements would also be prepared.
The slogan would be used to fight against Banerjee's government in the run-up to the election. Shah said that he has fixed a target of two-third seats for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2021 election.
“This slogan would talk about injustice against corruption, appeasement and dynastic rule of Bengal,” Shah said.
The BJP leader categorically said that the next chief minister of Bengal would not be any shehzada (a term meaning prince that Prime Minister Narendra Modi used while referring to Rahul Gandhi in 2014 election campaign), but a son of this soil. BJP insiders said Shah was referring to Abhishek Banerjee, nephew of Banerjee.
Shah also added that corruption under Mamata Banerjee has spread everywhere.
“From nephew to ground level worker of the Trinamool Congress, it spreads like cancer,” Shah said.
The home minister was in Kolkata to inaugurate NSG eastern headquarters and also to hold a big rally in favour of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). He later held a closed-door meeting with the state leadership of Bengal BJP.
Shah, surprisingly, got a rousing reception when he began talking about Ram Janmabhoomi temple. Crowds thundered when he spoke about the Ram temple that was yet to be built. Seemingly surprised, Shah had to pause in between his speech as the crowd prompted him to raise the slogan of ‘Jai Shree Ram’.
Many BJP leaders were surprised to see the huge round of applause over Ram temple, particularly in the city of Kolkata.
Dilip Ghosh, state BJP president, said that party wanted to bring Modi for the rally.
“But he was extremely busy and hence, we requested Amit ji to come,” said Ghosh.
BJP also sent invitation to party president J.P. Nadda. But Nadda also could not make it.
The Congress and the Left showed black flags at Shah, raising slogans to ‘go back’. West Bengal police dispersed the mob that had gathered at the hotel where the home minister was to stay for a few hours.
Shah also went to Kalighat temple to offer puja just a few hundred metres from the residence of Mamata Banerjee.
