Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in West Bengal on Sunday to address an election rally in the storm-hit Jalpaiguri district. The Prime Minister's visit comes amid the ruling TMC and the BJP spar over the attack on NIA officials in Purba Medinipur on Saturday.
In a post on X, the Prime Minister wrote: "This afternoon, I will be among the people of Jalpaiguri to address a rally. There is outstanding support in @BJP4Bengal’s favour. The people of West Bengal are tired of TMC’s corruption and poor governance. Only BJP can fulfil their dreams."
This is Modi's second visit to Bengal this month, the last being to Cooch Behar where he slammed the TMC while raising the Sandeshkhali issue.
Sunday's visit will also intensify the tensions between both parties after BJP slammed the ruling party for the attack on NIA officials. The investigation officials claimed they were attacked in Bhupatinagar where they went to arrest the two main suspects in a 2022 blast case.
The opposition BJP alleged that it was a "state-sponsored" attack, and accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of inciting violence. However, Mamata claimed the attack was "self-defence" by villagers and accused the NIA team of barging into several houses in the early hours over an incident of "bursting of crackers in 2022".
The incident evoked memories of January 5 when a team of the Enforcement Directorate was attacked by a mob in North 24 Parganas district's Sandeshkhali during a search at the house of TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh in connection with alleged irregularities in the public distribution system.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also visit Bihar and Madhya Pradesh on Sunday. In his second visit to Bihar in four days, the Prime Minister will address an election rally in Kunti Nagar of Nawada. He will campaign for BJP candidate Vivek Thakur.
Modi will also kick off the BJP's campaign for Lok Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday when he will lead a roadshow in Jabalpur constituency. The roadshow along the 1.2-km route will start from Shaheed Bhagat Singh crossing on Sunday evening and culminate at Adi Shankaracharya crossing in Gorakhpur locality of Jabalpur, BJP city president Prabhat Sahu told PTI.
