Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress (TMC) during a public rally in Bardhaman-Durgapur, West Bengal, on Friday. He claimed that the party has made Hindus second-class citizens in the state and accused the TMC of shielding Shahjahan Sheikh in the Sandeshkhali case for appeasement.
Modi’s attack on the TMC came as part of his campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He claimed that the TMC has failed to bring development to West Bengal and has instead divided society for the sake of votes.
“A TMC MLA gave an open threat. He said that they would drown Hindus in Bhagirathi in just 2 hours. What kind of language and political culture is this? What is happening to Hindus in Bengal? Looks like the TMC has made the Hindus second class citizens in West Bengal,” Modi said, as reported by a leading news agency.
Modi also accused the TMC of shielding Shahjahan Sheikh, the accused in the Sandeshkhali case, where two Dalit sisters were allegedly gang-raped and murdered. He said that the TMC’s actions were motivated by appeasement and asked, “Can a vote bank be above humanity?”
In response to Modi’s allegations, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the Narendra Modi government of attempting to marginalize the SCs, STs, and OBCs. She also alleged that the BJP and Modi were intolerant of Bengal’s independence and the autonomy of the Election Commission.
Meanwhile, the Congress alleged that West Bengal’s industrial wealth was threatened by the Modi government’s ‘crony capitalist policies’.
Modi is scheduled to address public meetings in Krishnanagar, Purba Bardhaman, and Bolpur Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal on Friday, May 3. The upcoming Lok Sabha elections are crucial for both the BJP and the TMC, as they seek to expand their presence in West Bengal.
