Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday claimed that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was pained by the Indian Air Force’s strikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammad camp in Balakot following the Pulwama attack. “Islamabad and Rawalpindi should have felt the pain, but it was felt by Didi in Kolkata,” he alleged. “She said, ‘Why did you do this Modi? Give us proof.’”
The prime minister claimed that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has prevented the PM-Kisan Yojana from being implemented in the state. “Didi has put the brakes on the development of 70 lakh farmers’ families in West Bengal,” he said, the BJP tweeted. “Your chowkidar is constantly striving for the development of West Bengal despite many hurdles.”
“I warn those who indulge in crime in this state, funded by the Trinamool Congress,” Modi said. “I warn them to stop doing this, else, when a BJP government comes to power, it will fix them.” Modi also claimed that he will not “spare” any “illegal immigrants” entering the state.
The prime minister said the Armed Forces Special Powers Act acts as a “shield” for the Army, which enables it to take any action for the country’s security without fear. “The Congress wants to take this away from the Army,” he alleged, referring to the promise in the party’s manifesto to amend AFSPA.
He accused the Opposition of trying to “break the morale” of India’s security forces by criticising the airstrikes and described Banerjee as a “speed breaker”. “I have not been able to ensure the development of Bengal with the same speed as the rest of the country,” Modi said. “The reason for this is that in Bengal there is a speed breaker, and this speed breaker is known as Didi.”
He accused the Congress of being “soft” on terror by proposing “appeasement” policies including anti-terror laws like Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act and Prevention of Terrorism Act. “We too scrapped over 1,400 obsolete laws from statute books,” Modi said. “We have also withdrawn the AFSPA from some areas after peace returned there. The Congress’s election promise will help those peddling terror from Pakistan.”
The prime minister said the Congress and the Trinamool Congress had perpetuated dynastic politics. “In 55 years that a family ruled India, it stifled the talent of young people and spread the poison of casteism in society,” Modi said. “It is being repeated in West Bengal where the aunt [Mamata Banerjee] and nephew [party MP Abhishek Banerjee] are looting people.”
‘Congress manifesto full of lies’
At a rally in Arunachal Pradesh’s Pasighat earlier in the day, Modi claimed the Congress’ election manifesto should be called “hypocrisy document” as it is full of lies. The Congress released their manifesto on Tuesday.
“While on one hand there is a determined government, on the other hand there are people who make false promises,” Modi said. “Just like those people [the Congress], their manifesto is also corrupt, and filled with hypocrisy. It should be called a ‘hypocrisy document’ and not manifesto.”
Simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and the state Assembly will be held on April 11.
The prime minister said the Lok Sabha polls will be about the choice between trust and corruption, and about resolution and conspiracy. The BJP does not promise just one thing and stretch it for decades, he said. “We are people who work sincerely to make your lives easy,” he added.
The prime minister also said the Congress was never sensitive to the dreams, aspirations and the needs of the North East. “But your chowkidar promises to keep addressing the needs of all the people and bring change,” he adds.
Hitting out at the Congress, Modi said the Opposition party in their 2004 manifesto, had promised that every house would have electricity by 2009 and had even announced a scheme for it. “However, till 2014 around 18,000 houses did not have electricity and crores of families had not seen electricity,” he claimed.
Modi claimed the Congress party has made promises to even those who insult the national flag and those who shout “Bharat tere tukde honge” (India will be destroyed into pieces). He was referring to the Congress’ pledge to repeal the colonial-era sedition law. “The Congress is compassionate even to such people,” he added.
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