E-Paper
TMC is mother of corruption, prepare to atone, JP Nadda tells Mamata Banerjee
At his rallies in Birbhum and Jhargram, CP chief JP Nadda also accused Mamata Banerjee of appeasing Muslims.
Flagging off two more rath yatras or roadshows rechristened Parivartan Yatra (journey for change) in poll-bound West Bengal on Tuesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) national president J P Nadda launched another scathing attack on chief minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of insulting the state’s rich culture and presiding over corruption.
“The culture once nurtured by icons such as Rabindranath Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and Shyama Prasad Mookerjee can be revived only after you (Banerjee) are ousted,” Nadda said at a rally at Lalgarh, an erstwhile Maoist stronghold in Jhargram district, where he launched a roadshow.
In the afternoon, Nadda flagged off the day’s first roadshow in Birbhum district after offering prayers at Tarapith temple, one of the most popular destinations among Hindu pilgrims.
With these, the BJP launched three roadshows since February 6. Two more have been planned. The roadshows will cover Bengal’s 294 assembly constituencies. The BJP insists that it will win at least 200 seats in the assembly polls due in April-May.
Though the roadshows Nadda flagged off on Tuesday started without any hitch, the first one he launched in Nadia district on February 6 was stopped for the second consecutive day in the adjoining Murshidabad district.
On Tuesday morning, BJP leaders had to alter plans for the roadshow in Murshidabad because of the chief minister’s election rally. She started her tour of Murshidabad, Malda, North Dinajpur and East Burdwan, the districts having the highest Muslim populations in the state.
Police stopped the roadshow’s main vehicle, referred to as the rath (chariot) in Berhampore soon after it rolled out from the Madhupur area. The administration allowed it only after imposing conditions.
On Monday, BJP workers held a demonstration for almost two hours in Murshidabad’s Beldanga after the police stopped the roadshow saying there could be unrest if it passed through Beldanga, Nowda and Hariharpara where the Muslims are in majority.
Nadda sharpened the poll rhetoric at his rallies in Birbhum and Jhargram, accusing Banerjee of indulging in appeasement. “She stops processions during Saraswati Puja and Durga Puja but allows the same during Muharram. Curfew is ordered in Bengal when the foundation stone of the Ram Mandir is laid. This is appeasement,” Nadda said in Jhargram.
Alleging that Bengal was worse than other states in crimes such as rape, human trafficking, acid attack, attempted murder and domestic violence, Nadda said, “Rising crime, theft of calamity relief fund sent by the Centre, corruption et al prove that Mamata Banerjee has insulted the culture of Bengal. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) is the mother of corruption and you are the party’s leader. Come to your senses and prepare for atonement.”
Nadda’s plane landed in the morning at Andal airport in West Burdwan district from where he took a chopper to Birbhum district and later to Jhargram.
TMC’s top leaders did not comment on Nadda’s speeches. However, the ruling party’s Birbhum district unit president Anubrata Mondal, whose cryptic slogan “khela hobe” (let’s play) has become popular across Bengal, said, “The crowd was thin at Nadda’s rally because we have played well. There will be more play in the coming days,” he said.
