West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of filing fake affidavits in her name to invalidate her Bhabanipur assembly constituency nomination, and alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise by the Election Commission of India (ECI) is a “scam.”
Addressing an election rally in West Midnapore, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader said, “My fight is not just against the BJP but also against the vanishing machine (Banerjee earlier referred to EC as vanishing machine). Yesterday, in an attempt to invalidate my nomination, the traitors filed two false affidavits in my name. They finally failed, but made an attempt so that I can’t contest the polls.”
“The Sankalp Patra is a bundle of lies. It promises to implement the Universal Civil Code (UCC). You will have no rights over your religion, tradition and culture. A Hindu wedding is different from a tribal wedding and a Christian wedding is different from a Muslim wedding. But BJP wants all to follow one ritual. We will oppose it in every way,” Banerjee, who addressed two more rallies during the day in Jhargram and Bankura districts, said.
“When everyone is busy with elections, the BJP is planning to introduce these bills. Today you are in power. Tomorrow when you don’t remain in power, we will cancel the bills,” Banerjee added.
She also attacked the BJP and ECI over the deletion of voter names from the electoral rolls after SIR.
“SIR is a big scam. It will be proved one day and we are waiting for that. This is a unilateral attempt to bring the BJP to power. Around nine lakh names have been deleted, of which three million are those of Muslims. Don’t share your bank account details even if they promise to transfer cash to your account. They will withdraw all money after the polls. They will deposit black money in your account and send the ED and CBI after you,” she said in West Midnapore.
Speaking at an election rally in Jhargram, she said, “They come during elections – Modi bhai and Amit bhai. After elections you won’t see them. Nine lakh names have been deleted. You may trust a cobra, but never the BJP. They have destroyed the Nation, the democracy and the Constitution. You speak of women safety during election and we give 37% women reservation in parliament and 50% women representation in panchayat.”
She also accused the Centre of stopping funds to the state and warned her party workers and election candidates that the BJP would try to rig the polls. “They would resort to slow counting and count the polling stations first where BJP may get lead. In the evening the central forces would threaten you to leave. If they switch off the lights, secure the EVM,” she said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah, on a mega campaign trail in West Bengal on Saturday, targeted the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government over issues of syndicate raj, citizenship, women’s safety, corruption and governance.
Addressing a rally in East Burdwan’s Katwa, Modi said, “During the BJP regime, women and girls would be able to roam freely anywhere anytime. BJP government means assurance for the safety of women. This is the prime difference between a BJP government and the ruthless TMC government.”
PM Modi addressed two more rallies in Murshidabad and Dakshin Dinajpur district on Saturday.
“TMC leaves no opportunity to insult the tribal society. President Draupadi Murmu had visited a program of the Santhal community in Bengal some time ago. But TMC neither upheld the dignity of the Constitution, nor respected the tribal society, nor honored the mothers and sisters of the country. TMC, which insults mothers and sisters, insults the tribal society, and insults the Constitution, needs to be taught a lesson,” he said in Dakshin Dinajpur.
Shah too attacked the TMC government and promised to end their “syndicate raj” once the BJP is voted to power.
“More than 300 BJP workers have been killed in poll-related violence. TMC goons think that nothing would happen to them. Those who have harassed BJP workers, their accounts would be equalled after the BJP comes to power. On the polling day, the TMC goons should stay home,” Shah said.
“The TMC government has driven out 7,000 industries, as a result of which unemployment has risen,” he added.
