'Mota Bhai, Jawab Chai': Trinamool Congress hits back at Amit Shah with chargesheet as West Bengal poll battle heats up

Allegations and counter-allegations flew between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) with Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s Kolkata visit on Saturday opening a Pandora’s box with a ‘chargesheet’ on misgovernance during Mamata Banerjee’s rule in West Bengal.

“In 15 years, fear, corruption and division politics is taking place with the help of lies, fear and violence, Mamata is taking her politics forward with the new theory,” said Amit Shah.

The 40-odd-page booklet, focusing on various sectors of neglect and misgovernance by the ruling TMC establishment, is a prelude to the saffron party’s ‘Bharosha Potro’ (manifesto) expected next week.

“Mamata has always played victim card politics. Sometimes she breaks her foot, sometimes she ties a band-aid on her head, sometimes she falls ill and sometimes she acts like a victim in front of the Election Commission (EC) and abuses them,” said the Union Home Minister.

“Mamata Di, I have come to tell you that people of Bengal have seen through and understood your victim card politics. To abuse the Election Commission does not suit Bengal’s culture.”

Shah also questioned why Mamata was against Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which has been conducted in 12 states and Union Territories (UTs). The infiltration issue which the saffron party has been focusing on repeatedly is also another aspect that he used to hit out at Mamata.

“What happened in Bengal that judicial officers had to be placed? District Magistrates (DMs) did not work efficiently, hence judicial officers had to be placed,” he questioned.

The Home Minister also pointed out that the Murshidabad district violence on Ram Navami (on Friday) had been brought under control due to competent officers brought into the state after the EC transferred several officers close to Mamata after election dates were announced.

“Violence has been less this time because officers close to Mamata were transferred by Election Commission. That is why the violence was curtailed,” he added.

The TMC tore into the BJP soon after by releasing its own chargesheet against Shah with the slogan ‘Mota Bhai, Jawab Chai’. The chargesheet had 12 points on misgovernance in BJP-ruled states, including corruption, safety of women and ethnic violence.

“He is one such Home Minister who is a fugitive. In another country, he could never become the Home Minister,” said TMC leader Kirti Azad, who was in the BJP earlier.

“You are not doing SIR because you want to send back infiltrators—there are no infiltrators. In Bihar you used the same excuse ... You are doing SIR to disenfranchise valid citizens. That is the only reason you are doing this,” claimed Mohua Moitra.

The TMC hit out at the BJP for stating judicial officers were only sent to West Bengal, and nowhere else in the country.

“In no other state has the issue of logical discrepancy happened. No other state has 1.2 crore voters—which is 15 per cent of our voter base—put through hearings ... The answer is, Amit Shah’s desperation to win West Bengal,” Moitra added.

The TMC also questioned the BJP for saying that officers transferred by the EC were cadres from the TMC.

“If they are not competent officers, why are they sent as observers to other states? When SIR was taking place they didn’t find anything wrong with the officers, they were all right,” Azad questioned.

The battle of words between the two parties is heating up with less than a month to go for the elections.

While TMC’s manifesto looks to take forward their existing welfare schemes and other projects in various sectors, the BJP says its manifesto will be solution-oriented to give Bengal’s citizens a growth-oriented vision.