Sandeshkhali culprits will be punished: Yogi in Bengal

Of the 7 assembly segments that make for Birbhum Lok Sabha constituency, only four are now Hindu majority ones, that’s how the demographic profile is changing here, says UP CM

LUCKNOW Chief minister Yogi Adityanath held three rallies in West Bengal, his first campaign in 2024 Lok Sabha polls in the state where BJP is keen to expand its footprint as he flagged issues of Sandeshkhali violence, talked of changing demographic profile of assembly segments in the state and pitched BJP as the only party that could ensure a “sonar Bangla” (golden Bengal).

UP chief minister and BJP leader Yogi Adityanath during a rally for Lok Sabha elections, at Suri in Birbhum district, Tuesday. (PTI Photo)

Adityanath came down hard on the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress, saying, “It is sad that the situation has come to such a pass in a state whose illustrious son had said, ‘garv se kaho hum Hindu hain (proudly say that we are Hindu)’.

“Of the 7 assembly segments that make for Birbhum Lok Sabha constituency, only four are now Hindu majority ones, that’s how the demographic profile is changing here. There are many other assembly segments in West Bengal where similar things are happening,” Adityanath said in a public meeting in Birbhum.

“Today, a dangerous game to reduce your numbers is happening in West Bengal by counting on infiltrators,” he said and sought votes to punish the guilty of Sandeshkhali and those behind violence on Ram Navami.

“Had such things happened in UP, I would have ensured that the guilty were made to hang upside down, their illegal properties seized, and they would have been given such exemplary punishment that would act as a deterrent

for seven generations of theirs. We need your vote to ensure that the guilty are given a befitting punishment and Bengal gets all round development,” he added.

Adityanath, who also addressed rallies in Murshidabad and Asansol, said: “Lord Ram is all pervasive in Indian culture, from birth till death. Then why did Ram Navami witness mischief in West Bengal and there was none in UP. Why did the government not act?”

“Isn’t it surprising that Bengal taught us to say with pride that we are Hindus and then how is Hindu pride being crushed under government patronage (in Bengal). The state is no longer a ‘sonar bangla’ as it has been pushed into a cycle of riots. I have come all the way from Lucknow to draw your attention towards the dangerous designs of the Congress and the Trinamool Congress and to tell you that only BJP can ensure a ‘sonar Bangla,” he emphasised.

“The situation in Bengal now is the same as was in UP seven years back. But today, under BJP rule, both women and businessmen are safe, there is no law & order issue and benefits of government schemes flow impartially to all sans discrimination,” he said while describing Bengal as the land of ‘sanskriti, sabhyata aur sanskar’ (culture, civilisation and values).

All the places where Yogi Adityanath held rallies are those where BJP had lost in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Adityanath, who earlier campaigned in Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Jammu, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, and Bihar, has so far attended 81 election programmes and flagge the issue of “Muslim reservation”.

He said: “The deceptive nature of Congress-TMC alliance and the proposal for Muslim reservation, is intended to lead the country towards another partition and that is why we are opposing religion-based reservations.”

Talking of improved law and order in UP, he said: “Now criminals are either out of UP or have been sent to hell.”