Katwa: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday sharpened the BJP’s pitch on infiltration and welfare in poll-bound West Bengal and promised that the process of granting citizenship to Matua and Namasudra refugee families will speed up once the party comes to power.
Addressing a rally at Katwa in Purba Bardhaman district, Modi said the BJP had brought in the Citizenship (Amendment) Act to grant citizenship to refugees and accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of trying to spread fear among them.
“I want to tell the Matua and Namasudra refugee families that they are under the protection of the country’s Constitution. Modi enacted the CAA law so that Matua, Namasudra, and all refugees get citizenship,” he said.
The remarks are significant in a state where the Matua community, spread across several districts of south Bengal, is seen as an influential electoral bloc and where the issue of citizenship has remained politically charged. Stepping up his attack on alleged illegal immigration, Modi said “infiltrators” would have to leave Bengal once the BJP forms the government.
“The infiltrators should start packing their bags; it is time to leave. Those who have helped the infiltrators will not be spared,” Modi added, in an apparent attack on the TMC.
The Prime Minister alleged that the 15-year rule of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had created an atmosphere of fear in Bengal.
“The 15-year rule of the TMC has given nothing but fear to every citizen, every family of Bengal. This election is to eradicate the TMC’s fear,” he said.
He called for a “Bengal free of TMC’s fear and filled with BJP’s trust”. Modi said, “Such a change would be the first step towards building a developed Bengal.”
Although he did not cite any specific incident during his rally in Kushmandi, South Dinajpur, Prime Minister Modi took aim at the chaos that had unfolded at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan on December 13.
Alleging that “Syndicate Raj” has become the de facto model of development in Bengal under the TMC regime, the Prime Minister asserted that TMC leaders and ministers have turned even the sport of football into a subject of this syndicate culture.
PM Modi claimed that the entire world had witnessed the shameful events that transpired at Yuba Bharati on that day. In his view, this serves as yet another glaring example of Trinamool’s “Jungle Raj.”
Subsequently, he also made mention of the iconic football clubs, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. He noted that the rivalry between these two teams on the football field is historic; they are constantly striving to defeat one another. However, in the wake of the incident at RG Kar Medical College, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal united to stage a joint protest. In this very context, he reiterated once more that if the BJP assumes power in Bengal, it will usher in genuine development for women.
During the rally, the PM highlighted that the BJP has released a “Sankalp Patra”with the aim of propelling Bengal toward progress. He termed this BJP Sankalp Patra as a “Bharosa Patra” — a document of trust and assurance.
In one segment of his speech, the Prime Minister also cited statistics regarding the number of women police personnel currently serving in the state of Bihar. He stated that the proportion of female police personnel in that region stands at 24–25 per cent.
However, in a large state like Bengal, female police personnel constitute no more than 10 per cent of the force — and the majority of them are on the verge of retirement. He asserted that this situation would undergo a transformation once the BJP assumes power.
PM Modi further claimed today that while new universities are being established across the country, the state of the education sector in Bengal remains chaotic. In this context, he highlighted the fact that Dinajpur University lacks a campus of its own; consequently, he noted, the university is compelled to operate out of student hostel rooms.
He provided a detailed account of the initiatives undertaken by the BJP for the welfare of the tribal communities.
“The BJP government observes the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda as ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas’ (Tribal Pride Day). Our government has liberated the tribal communities from the scourge of Maoism. The states of Jharkhand, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh are currently led by tribal Chief Ministers. A short while ago, President Droupadi Murmu visited Bengal; as a daughter of a tribal family herself, she, too, was subjected to insult by this government. The TMC will not bring about the development of the tribal people; only the BJP possesses the capability to ensure their genuine development,” he said. Elections to the 294-member West Bengal assembly will be held in two phases – on April 23 and April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.
