Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday alleged that the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal had started an unprecedented oppression on BJP workers.
Mr. Shah, who is on two-day visit to the State, said that the death knell of the Trinamool Congress government had been sounded.
“With the kind of the cycle of oppression that has been unleashed particularly on the BJP workers by the Mamata Banerjee government, I can say with certainty that the death knell for it has been sounded. In the times to come, the BJP will form the government here with a two-thirds majority,” he told journalists in Bankura.
Mr. Shah started his visit to Bankura by garlanding a statue of Birsa Munda. He said that the benefits of Central schemes were not reaching the State people, including the Adivasi population.
“In this Adivasi area, the money for construction of houses is not reaching the people. Farmers are not getting ₹6,000, which is being allocated by the Centre, and the poor families are deprived of ₹5 lakh health insurance benefit. There are 80 schemes of the Centre aimed at the welfare of the poor and Adivasis but the benefits of all schemes are not reaching the people,” he stated.
If Ms. Banerjee thought that by stopping Central schemes she could stop the BJP, then she was mistaken. “If she allows the benefits of ₹6,000 to reach every farmer, and also health benefit, toilet and housing schemes to reach the poor, then people may give a thought to her,” he said.
The issue of non-implementation of two Central schemes — Ayushman Bharat and PM Kisan — has been a subject of debate in the State. While the Trinamool Congress government maintains that it has launched similar schemes, the BJP leadership has been raising questions as to why the Central schemes cannot be implemented in the State. Recently, the Chief Minister wrote to the Ministries of Health and Agriculture, saying that she was willing to implement the schemes if they were routed through the State.
Mr. Shah said that on the one hand he could see huge anger among people against the Mamata Banerjee government, and, on the other, there was hope among people that there would be change in the State under the leadership of Narendra Modi.
He sought the support of people to “uproot the Mamata Banerjee government” and promised a “Sonar Bangla” (golden Bengal)” if voted to power. During the day, Mr Shah had lunch at the house of a member of the tribal community in Bankura’s Chaturdihi village.
Senior BJP leaders, including State BJP president Dilip Ghosh, national general secretary Kaliash Vijayvargiya and national vice president Mukul Roy accompanied Mr. Shah to Bankura. He is scheduled to return to Kolkata and on Friday scheduled to visit Dakshineswar Kali Temple and have lunch at a house of the member of a matua community.