Amit Shah In Bengal HIGHLIGHTS: Shah Addresses Press Conference In Birbhum, Hits At Mamata-Led TMC Over Attack On Nadda's Convoy

Amit Shah West Bengal Rally Live: Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Viswa Bharati University. He addressed the students and faculty of the university and expressed gratitude to 'Gurudev' Rabindranath Tagore for holding on to India's culture and democracy at Shanti Niketan . Shah will also hold a roadshow in Bolpur. On his Day 1 visit to Bengal, the HM got to parade 13 new faces who had joined his party, the most important of them being former West Bengal cabinet minister Suvendu Adhikari.

Background

Kolkata: Strengthening the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP)'s campaign ahead of 2021 Assembly polls, Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Kolkata in the early hours of Saturday for his two-day visit to the state.

"Reached Kolkata! I bow to this revered land of greats like Gurudev Tagore, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar & Syama Prasad Mookerjee," Shah Tweeted.

The Union Home Minister is scheduled to address roadshows and attend public rallies in two western districts of Bengal - Midnapore, and Birbhum - during his two-day visit.

Speculations over dissident Trinamool Congress heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari joining the BJP during Shah's rally in Midnapore are rife.

Shah will arrive in the Midnapore district on Saturday and he is proposed to visit the Ramkrishna Mission and Siddheshwari Kali temple in the district. In the evening, he will address a political rally. In between, Shah will have lunch at a farmer's residence at Belijuri village in Midnapore.

After his day's programme, the Union minister will return to Kolkata and is likely to have a meeting with his party colleagues at a hotel in Kolkata's Rajarhat.

On Sunday, Shah will be in Bolpur in Birbhum district. He will visit the Visva Bharati University and is slated to have lunch at a Bengali folk singer's house.

A roadshow in Birbhum has also been scheduled for Sunday. The Union Home Minister is expected to interact with the locals and visit farmers' households in the district.

17:59 PM (IST)  •  20 Dec 2020

23 lakh farmers from Bengal have requested online for PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi. Mamata di still prevents them by not giving them actual certification! She is not even sending a list of farmers to the Central govt.

18:14 PM (IST)  •  20 Dec 2020

Political violence is at its peak in Bengal. More than 300 BJP workers have been killed and there has been no progress in investigation of the deaths: Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah

17:58 PM (IST)  •  20 Dec 2020

Bengal stands on 20th in industrial growth out of 32 in India and its CAGR stands just 5.74% today. The growth rate in service sector in 5.8% and it stands on 28th. FDI in Bengal continues to stand at just 1% from 2011 till date. There's no space to fall below! TMC govt can count that as an achievement: Amit Shah during press conference

17:53 PM (IST)  •  20 Dec 2020

In the 1950s, 70% of pharma production of India was done in Bengal. Today, it has fallen to a meager 7%! Bengal's jute industry has also weakened significantly: Amit Shah

17:51 PM (IST)  •  20 Dec 2020

Bengal had a chunk of 1/3rd of India's entire GDP when India got independence. Today, it has reduced to minimalistic levels after three decades of Communist rule and 1 decade of TMC rule.

- Shri @AmitShah #BengalWithBJP

— BJP (@BJP4India) December 20, 2020