Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday once again came down hard at Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her TMC government of supporting Maoists instead of focusing of industries, unemployment and development in the state.
Addressing a massive rally in Bengal's Purulia ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections, the Prime Minister, who is a star campaigner of Bharatiya Janata Party, attacked Banerjee over series of civic issues including water crisis.
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"This land is a witness to Lord Ram and Goddess Sita's exile. This land has Sitakund. It is also said that when goddess Sita was thirsty, Lord Ram got water from the ground by hitting it with an arrow...It is an irony that Purulia faces water crisis today," PM said.
The Prime Minister noted that people of Purulia have migrated to other parts of the country due to lack of jobs. He said that people have been discriminated in Trinamool regime and the Mamata led TMC government has neglected industrial development of Purulia.
"First the Left govt and then TMC govt didn't let industries develop here. The kind of work that should've been done for irrigation, didn't take place. I know the problems faced in rearing livestock due to less water. TMC govt was busy in its 'khel' by leaving farming on its own," PM Modi said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="et" dir="ltr"><a href="https://news.abplive.com/news/india/west-bengal-assembly-elections-bjp-dilip-ghosh-will-not-contest-bengal-polls-candidate-list-1448943">#WATCH</a>: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in Purulia, says, "Didi bole khela hobe, BJP bole chaakri hobe. Didi bole khela hobe, BJP bole vikas hobe. Didi bole khela hobe, BJP bole shiksha hobe....Khela shesh hobe, vikas aarambh hobe."<a >#WestBengalElections2021</a> <a >pic.twitter.com/9a4e7fBTr8</a></p>— ANI (@ANI) <a >March 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Expressing concern for Mamata's leg injury, PM Modi said that he respects her though she is " taking out her frustration on me".
"Bengal made up its mind long back. It's been saying 'Lok Sabha mein TMC half aur iss baar poori saaf'. Seeing this determination, didi is taking out her frustration on me. But for us, she's a daughter like crores of daughters of India. Respect for them is part of our culture. That is why we were concerned when didi got injured. I pray to God that her leg injury heals soon," PM Modi said.
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A day before his visit to Purulia, PM Modi in a Twitter post reiterated that that there is a desire for a change in Bengal. he said that BJP's agenda of good governance is striking a chord among the people.
As the campaigning in four states and one Union Territory is heating up ahead of the state assembly elections, PM Modi will also address a rally in Assam's Karimganj today.
West Bengal election will be conducted in eight phases, with the first one set to begin on March 27. The Election Commission will be announcing the West Bengal Assembly Election results on May 2. In Assam, Assembly elections will be held in three phases on March 27, April 1 and April 6. Results will be declared on May 2.