TMC government hindering West Bengal's development: Amit Shah

PURULIA: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Thursday slammed the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal for allegedly stalling BJP's development schemes in the state.

Addressing a gathering in West Bengal's Purulia, Shah said, "Development schemes of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government are not reaching the people of Bengal because of TMC government."

"Under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, the 13th Finance Commission gave West Bengal only Rs 1,32,000 crores while, the 14th Finance Commission, under the BJP-led government, gave Rs 3,60,000 crores for the development of the state," Shah added.

He also mentioned how the BJP candidates in the recently-conducted West Bengal panchayat polls were stopped from filing their nominations.

"Bengal didn't develop but the goons of TMC developed. Our candidates wanted to contest the panchayat elections; however, they were stopped from filing their nominations. Voters were held from voting for our party," Shah said.

Hinting towards the killing of the BJP workers in the state in recent months, Shah claimed that the violence that the "state government were propagating would not help them to remain in power for long."

"More than 20 BJP members were ruthlessly murdered. More than 1300 have been injured. If the TMC thinks that they can continue to remain in power in Bengal through the means of violence, then I would like to challenge them that the sacrifice of our workers will not go in vain and their government will not last long," he added.

The BJP chief is in West Bengal on a two-day visit, which started on Wednesday, as part of the BJP's campaign for next year's General Elections.