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Mamata Banerjee launches INDIA campaign in WB; slams BJP over Manipur incident
Banerjee also stepped up her attack against the BJP-led government at the centre on the Manipur incident where two women were stripped, paraded and gangraped on May 4.
Days after returning from a meeting of 26 opposition parties in Bengaluru, which decided on the name Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) for the 2024 elections, Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal (WB) chief minister Mamata Banerjee launched her party’s 2024 Lok Sabha poll campaign, saying “INDIA would fight”, and the TMC would be part of the campaign like a “soldier carrying a flag.”
Banerjee, who’s TMC won 22 of the 40 seats in the 2019 elections, said that they would work to popularise the slogans “Jai India” (victory to India ) along with the slogan “Jai Bangla” (victory to WB) and use them in all party programmes.
Banerjee was speaking at TMC’s annual rally in Kolkata to mark July 21 as “martyrs day” to mark the deaths of 13 Congress workers who died in police firing during a protest led by her in 1993.
“INDIA will fight and TMC will stand beside it like a soldier carrying a flag. Let INDIA win. Let BJP lose. Modi will lose. That’s my only slogan. In the coming 2024 elections we will raise the slogan ‘Jai INDIA’ along with our (party’s) slogan ‘Jai Bangla ‘. We will raise this slogan in all our programs to popularise it,” she said.
Banerjee said that the TMC “did not want a chair” but the country could not tolerate the BJP anymore. “I am happy that ahead of the 2024 elections we have formed an alliance named INDIA. The entire fight would be fought under this banner. INDIA will win. We don’t want a chair. We want the BJP to be ousted. They can’t be tolerated anymore. They have crossed all limits,” she said.
She also stepped up her attack against the BJP-led government at the centre on the Manipur incident where two women were stripped, paraded and gangraped on May 4. “We convey our solidarity to Manipur people. We are with you. Where is the BJP’s save daughter slogan? Today the daughter is burning. Manipur is burning. If you (BJP) hurt the dignity of women, they will throw you out in coming 2024 elections,” she said.
Banerjee said that talks were on to send an INDIA-delegation, comprising chief ministers, to Manipur. “We are not going to leave Manipur. North eastern sisters are our sisters,” she said.
Banerjee said the BJP has been circulating fake videos to malign West Bengal. “This has bene made clear by the Prime Minister during his speech on Manipur mentioned the names of West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan,” the TMC chief said.
Alleging that the centre has stopped funds for the MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) and PMAY (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana), she said the WB government would launch two schemes funded by the state.
“Even if the centre has stopped the 100-days work scheme, the state has provided work for 26 days to job card holders. In future we would start a 100-days work scheme in WB. It would be funded by the state government. It would be named “Khela Hobe” (Game on). The centre stopped funds under the PMAY even after promising 1.1 million houses. We would construct them with our money. They would be constructed in phases. We have arranged the money,” she said.
“Khela Hobe” was her party’s slogan in the 2021 assembly polls in which the TMC returned to power for the third time in a row in the state, registering a sweeping victory.
Abhishek Banerjee, TMC national general secretary and MP, who also addressed the rally, said the TMC would organise a “huge rally” in Delhi on October 2, demanding release of central funds. He also said that TMC workers would picket BJP leaders’ homes on August 5.
