UNION Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that the turnout of a sizeable number of people in his roadshow at Birbhum indicated that people of West Bengal are “angry” with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and want a change. “This roadshow shows the anger of Bengal’s public towards Mamata didi. People of West Bengal want change. It is not to change just one Chief Minister. The change is for development and progress and West Bengal,” Shah said at a roadshow here. “I have not seen a roadshow like this in my life. This roadshow shows love and trust of people of Bengal towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi. People of Bengal want change. Give one chance to Narendra Modi. We will make ‘Sonar Bangla’ in five years,” he added.

 

Accompanying Shah at the roadshow here was State BJP chief Dilip Ghosh and other party leaders. Shah further said, “This change is to stop the infiltration from Bangladesh. This change is to stop the violence in the State. It is to stop the toll taxes. The change is to end the nephew’s dadagiri (in an apparent reference to Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP and Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee).” “We will take Bengal on an onward path. We will make a Bengal of Subhash Babu’s dreams. Wherever BJP has got an opportunity the States have developed,” he added. Earlier, a ‘Baul’ singer performed in the presence of Shah in Bolpur in Birbhum district. Shah also attended a cultural programme at Visva-Bharati University in Shantiniketan, Birbhum. He is on a two-day visit to West Bengal, which will conclude on Sunday. The Union Home Minister also paid floral tributes to Rabindranath Tagore at Rabindra-Bhavana, Shantiniketan, Birbhum, earlier on Sunday.

 

A group of students performed dances during the event. On Saturday, over 10 MLAs in Bengal apart from former Minister Suvendu Adhikari joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in presence of Amit Shah. An MP and a former MP also joined the BJP. Shah’s much-anticipated visit to the State began on Saturday. West Bengal is scheduled to go for Assembly polls in mid-2021. The dates are not announced as of now.

 

 

HOME Minister Amit Shah on Sunday slammed the Mamata Banerjee Government over the recent attack on BJP chief J P Nadda’s convoy, and asserted the Centre had the right to summon State IPS officers responsible for providing him security for central deputation. He alleged Banerjee had failed to control the law and order situation in the State, which was rapidly falling on all development indices. Shah, while addressing a press conference here, said Banerjee and the ruling TMC were raking up the “outsider- insider” issue to divert public attention from the failures of the state government.

 

“The Centre is well within its rights to send a letter (summoning IPS officers for central deputation) to state government...If they have any doubt they can go through the rule book,” Shah said. On the “insider-outsider debate”, Shah said a son of the soil will become the Chief Minister in West Bengal if BJP is voted to power. “I think Mamata di has forgotten a few things. When Mamata di was in Congress did she call Indira Gandhi an outsider? Did she use to term for Prime Minister P V Narashima Rao? Is she trying to create a country where people of one State are not allowed in other States?” he said.

 

He also attacked the Mamata Banerjee Government over Bangladeshi infiltration. “The TMC can never stop infiltration as it believes in appeasement politics. Only BJP can stop it... Mamata Banerjee supports farmers protest but doesn’t allow cultivators of Bengal to get the benefits of central schemes. Is this the way to honour the federal structure?” he said. Responding to a question, the Home Minister said the rules for implementation of the Citizenship (amendment) Act will be formulated after the COVID-19 pandemic is brought under control. “Because of the corona, such a massive process can’t be carried out. As soon as COVID vaccination starts we will discuss it,” he said.