Cooch Behar: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said if Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to power after the Lok Sabha elections, he would destroy India’s Constitution and democracy by taking away people’s voting rights. “If he becomes the Prime Minister again, he will destroy the country’s Constitution and take away all the rights from you. There will be no more elections. They (BJP) want to destroy everything. Modi has three slogans — loot, riot and kill the people,” Banerjee said at a rally in Mathabhanga in Cooch Behar district.
“Look at their intentions. On one hand, they want to drive people away by bringing the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and on the other, they are talking about Citizenship (Amendment) Bill which would turn legal citizens into refugees and take away their voting rights for six years. “They have removed the names of 22 lakh Hindus and 23 lakh Muslims in the neighbouring Assam. They want to take away your voting rights,” she alleged.
Banerjee said she herself took the initiative to solve the six-decade-old enclave issue with Bangladesh in 2015 which none of the previous governments in West Bengal and the Centre managed to do. “We solved the enclave issue with Bangladesh and gave land to the enclave dwellers. Ask the ‘expiry’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi, could he have solved the enclave issue had I not been there? “The primary initiative was taken between the Bengal government and the Bangladesh government. We have given Rs 1,200 crore for their (enclave dwellers) development besides giving them land rights,” she said.
Launching a scathing attack on the Prime Minister for his “Main Bhi Chowkidar” campaign, Banerjee said a “Chaiwaala” (tea-seller) has turned into a “Chowkidar” (watchman) only to fool the masses. She also called Modi a “liar” who never spoke the truth. “Earlier he told people he was a ‘Chaiwala’ and asked for their votes. Now that his bluffs have been called, he has suddenly become a ‘Chowkidar’. People are saying ‘Chowkidar Chor Hai’ (the watchman is a thief). But I am saying “Chowkidar Jhuta Hai” (the watchman is a liar). He never speaks the truth,” Banerjee said.
Taking a swipe at the soon-to-be released biopic on Narendra Modi, Banerjee said: “Why will people watch your film? If people want to watch films, they will watch films on Gandhi Ji or Ambedkar Ji, why Modi? What contribution he has made to India?” On Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claiming to implement the NRC in Bengal in the lines of Assam, Banerjee said it would remain a dream for the saffron outfit as they will never win in Bengal.
“Last time they won two seats from here. This time they will not be able to win even a single seat. We (Trinamool Congress) will never allow NRC in Bengal. Modi is no one to decide who will stay or leave the country. “The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is another ploy to turn the country’s legal citizens into refugees. We should be careful of their (BJP’s) sinister plot,” she said.
