Mamata Looted for 10 Yrs, BJP Can Bring Asol Poribortan: PM in WB

Addressing a rally in Kharagpur, PM Modi said that the BJP will transform the state in five years if given a chance.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

(Photo: Shruti Mathur/The Quint)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, 20 March, addressed a rally in West Bengal’s Kharagpur ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled to begin next week, with the cry of “iss baar, BJP sarkar” (this time, a BJP government).

“It is an honour that you have come to bless the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) in such large numbers. It clearly sends a message of ‘Bengal mein iss baar BJP sarkar,’” he said.

Continuing his attack on the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government, PM Modi said that the government had deprived the state of development for 10 years.

“The masses of Bengal trusted Mamata Banerjee and voted for her. But her party only looted Bengal for 10 years,” he said.

“You have seen destruction by the Congress and the Left. The TMC ruined your dreams. In the last 70 years, you gave opportunities to everyone, but give us five years. We will free West Bengal from the 70 years of destruction, we will sacrifice our lives for you,” he said, adding that “only BJP can bring asol poriborton.”

Referring to the global outage of WhatsApp and Instagram on Friday night, PM Modi said that the dreams of the people of West Bengal have been down in a similar way for 70 years.

“Yesterday, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram were down for 50-55 minutes, but ‘vikas’ and dreams of people have been down in Bengal for the last 50 years,” he said.

Those Who Said ‘Khela Hobe’ Left the Field With a Broken Leg: Dilip Ghosh

Ahead of PM Modi’s address, BJP Bengal chief Dilip Ghosh slammed the TMC government and called her leg injury a poll gimmick.

“Those who said ‘Khela Hobe’, have broken their leg and left the field. ‘Khela hobena, khela shesh hoye geche’ (the game is not on, the game is finished),” he said.

“Today the state government is on a wheelchair. The government has lost the ability to stand on its own legs. You cannot fool the people of Bengal by showing them plaster, broken leg or a wheelchair,” he added.

PM Modi on Friday launched similar attacks on the Mamata Banerjee government in Purulia with the cry of “Vikas hobe.”

The rally by the PM comes as a part of a slew of rallies he is scheduled to address ahead of the Assembly elections in the state, which will be held in eight phases beginning 27 March.