PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched a blistering attack on the TMC over the Malda incident in which judicial officers were gheraoed for hours by a mob, terming it an example of the ruling party’s “maha jungleraj” and alleged that the State’s ruling party was hell-bent on carrying out the “funeral procession” of law and order in Bengal. Addressing his first election rally in Cooch Behar district after the announcement of polls last month, Modi said the entire country had seen how judicial officers were held hostage in Malda, and asked what kind of government could not ensure the safety of judges and constitutional procedures. “We cannot expect such a Government to keep the people of Bengal safe,” he said.

 

“When even judicial officers are not safe, how can you expect that common people will be safe under TMC rule? What happened in Malda is an example of TMC’s maha jungleraj,” Modi said. In a broadside against the Mamata Banerjee Government, Modi alleged the TMC Government does not consider any constitutional institution to be significant. “Democracy is bleeding every day on the sacred soil of Bengal under the ruthless TMC administration,” the Prime Minister asserted. The situation here is so bad that the Supreme Court had to intervene, Modi said, alleging that the TMC is hell-bent on “murdering law and order”. The remarks came days after seven judicial officers, including three women, were gheraoed for several hours inside the Kaliachak-II Block Development Office in Malda district by protesters over the alleged deletion of names from electoral rolls during the SIR exercise.

 

Using the Malda incident to sharpen the BJP’s attack on the ruling party, Modi alleged that the TMC government had endangered the future and identity of Bengal through appeasement politics and infiltration. “Under the TMC rule, there has been a dangerous demographic change in Bengal’s border areas. These infiltrators get direct protection from the TMC’s syndicate, thus putting the lives of the state’s people under threat,” he alleged. The PM also charged the TMC with opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise to protect infiltrators.

 

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that the 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies would start benefiting them from the 2029 parliamentary polls, as he sought to weaken West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s strongest electoral constituency. “The sisters of W Bengal and of the entire country should begin getting its benefit from the 2029 Lok Sabha elections itself. We are trying to ensure this. Therefore, the Govt has convened a special session of Parliament this month,” he said. “This right of mothers and sisters has been pending for 40 years. There should not be any further delay,” he added, in remarks that appeared aimed as much at the opposition parties as at women voters across the country. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had indicated in Rajya Sabha on Thursday that Parliament would meet again soon to consider a key legislation. The Budget session of Parliament has been extended for three more days and will reconvene on April 16 after a brief recess, with the Centre planning to bring legislation to raise the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816.