NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday addressed a mega rally at Kharagpur, West Bengal ahead of assembly elections this month.
Addressing a big crowd at Kharagpur, PM Modi said that he is grateful for all the people who have gathered here to bless the BJP in such large numbers. "Your enthusiasm says, BJP government in Bengal this year," said Modi.
Referring to Friday night's global outage of services on WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram, PM Modi said that development in Bengal has down for years.
"Last night, for 50-55 minutes, WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram were down which left everyone worried. Here in Bengal, development, dreams have been down for 50-55 years. I understand your impatience for change," said Modi.
The Prime minister said that this election is not only about changing the chief minister, it is about taking a resolve to build "sonar Bangla".
PM Modi's second visit to Bengal this month comes ahead of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unveiling its manifesto for West Bengal polls on Sunday.
Here are the highlights from PM Modi's speech in Kharagpur: * This region of Kharagpur gives us a glimpse of mini India. We can see India's diversity here, different languages and dialects. The longest platform and the first IIT of India, adds to Kharagpur's pride.
* Mamata Banerjee is playing "khela" (game) of appeasement for vote bank politics.
* Jana Sangh's father was a son of Bengal. Therefore, if there is a Bengal party in the true sense, then it is the BJP. The BJP's DNA has the ethics, thoughts, behaviour and values of Ashutosh Mukherjee and Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee.
* I am proud that my party has a president like Dilip Ghosh. There were many attacks on him, attempts were made to kill him. But he vowed to bring a bright future to Bengal and today he is energizing the whole of Bengal.
* Wherever there are BJP governments in the states, the central and BJP state governments are engaged in the service of Janata-Janardan with the double engine power.
* But here in West Bengal, Didi has become a wall blocking every development plan. You trusted Didi, but Didi betrayed you, betrayed you.
* India is moving towards a single-window system. But in Bengal, there is a different type of single window system, called
bhaipo window. Nothing can happen in Bengal without going through this window.
* The people of West Bengal are demanding Didi give an account for the last 10 years.
* If you about ration theft, then you are put in jail. If you ask for answers on Amphan fund, didi gets angry. Ask for answers on the coal scam and the police will come with lathis.
* In Bengal, Mamta didi has been snatching away your power to vote. The world has seen the way didi wrested your rights in the 2018 panchayat election.
* In the past years, 33 lakh pucca houses have been approved by the central government for Bengal. These houses have still not been completed. Didi feels that if all these schemes benefit people, then he will bless Modi.
* In this year's budget, a massive provision has been made for Medinipur. We're taking steps to convert the fishing harbour in the region into an economic hub.
* Many old industries had to shut down under the Trinamool government due to extortion syndicates. There is only one industry now, the mafia industry.
Assembly elections in Bengal & AssamEarlier in the week, the Prime Minister had addressed a rally in West Bengal's Purulia where he accused the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government of crime, violence and corruption.
He had also visited Assam's Karimganj where he said that Congress Party neglected the north-east for decades but the NDA Government has been focussing on connectivity and social empowerment.
Polling for the 126-member Assam assembly will be held on March 27, April 1 and April 6. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.
Elections to the 294-member West Bengal state Assembly will be held in eight phases starting from March 27 with the final round of voting taking place on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.