New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of a slew of developmental projects worth over Rs 7,200 crore in West Bengal’s Arambagh in Hooghly district on Friday. Among the projects was Indian Oil's 518km Haldia-Barauni crude oil pipeline developed at a cost of Rs 2,790 crore.
The Indian Oil pipeline will pass through Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, with an objective to supply crude oil to Barauni Refinery, Bongaigaon Refinery and Guwahati Refinery in a cost-effective and eco-friendly manner.
Launching a scathing attack on Trinamool Congress government, PM Modi said, "TMC has betrayed the people of West Bengal. The people are speaking in loud and clear voice – they want BJP."
Slamming the government over the Sandeshkhali violence, where women took to streets accusing TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan of sexual atrocities and land grab, PM Modi said, "Har chot ka jawab vote se dena hai (Every humiliation will get a befitting reply through votes). Today, the people of West Bengal are asking their CM 'Didi'- is the vote of some people more important than atrocities against women in Sandeshkhali? All the tall leaders of I.N.D.I alliance were silent on the Sandeshkhali incident. I.N.D.I alliance leaders were like the three monkeys of Gandhiji. Congress chief said on Sandeshkhali - Arey chhoddo, Bengal mein toh yeh sab chalta rheta hai (Let it be. These things keep happening in Bengal)."
Hailing India’s progress in different sectors and reiterating the government’s aim to strive towards ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047, PM Modi said, “The poor, farmers, women, and youth of the country are our government’s priority. We have taken steps for the development of the poor and the world is seeing its results.”
“In the last 10 years, about 25 crore people of the country have come out of poverty. This shows that the direction of our government is right, the policies are right, and the decisions are right. The basic reason for this is that the intentions are right,” PM Modi said.
PM Modi arrived on a two-day visit to West Bengal earlier on Friday and he is set to address another rally in Kolkata.
With an eye on making electoral inroads in the Mamata Banerjee-ruled state, PM Modi kickstarted his poll campaign from Arambagh, a Lok Sabha seat reserved for candidates from Scheduled Castes (SC) from 2009.
TMC leader Aparupa Poddar defeated BJP’s Tapan Roy by a thin margin of 1142 votes in the last general elections in this constituency.
According to a report by PTI, PM Modi is likely to meet CM Banerjee at Raj Bhavan in Kolkata later in the day.
"It is likely that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be coming to Raj Bhavan to meet the Prime Minister this evening. This meeting is as per the protocol. But the time of the meeting is not known yet," PTI quoted a Raj Bhavan official as saying.