Prime Minister Narendra Modi kickstarted his Lok Sabha polls campaign as he addressed two public rallies in West Bengal’s Thakurnagar and Durgapur on Saturday, 2 February.
Referring to the Interim Budget 2019 that was presented on Friday, 1 February, he said in Thakurnagar, “More than 12 crore families of small farmers, 30-40 crore workers and 3 crore middle-class families will directly benefit from the schemes announced in the budget yesterday."
Farmers across the country with up to 5 acres of land will be provided Rs 6,000 assistance directly into their account. It will be provided in three equal instalments, said Modi.
Several Injured Due to Stampede-Like Situation
Several people, including women and children were injured at Prime Minister Modi’s rally at Thakurnagar.
While Modi was addressing the well-attended rally of the Matua community, hundreds of supporters who were standing outside the venue tried to barge into the inner ring of the rally ground, leading to commotion.
Modi tried to pacify the crowd by asking them to stay put in their places and stop from making efforts to come on the front side of the inner ring.
However, supporters started throwing chairs inside the no-man zone in front of the stage to make space for others to stand in the inner ring, which was earmarked for women supporters.
Following the commotion, Modi abruptly cut short his speech, saying he has another rally to attend and decided to leave the location.
Clashes Broke Out Between BJP, TMC Activists
Clashes broke out between BJP and TMC activists in Durgapur town in West Burdwan district over the alleged removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's posters near the venue of his proposed rally on Saturday.
Activists of the BJP were injured in the incident that took place on Friday night, the party's state general secretary Sayantan Basu told PTI.
Basu also alleged that Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers threatened the BJP activists and tore apart posters and placards bearing pictures of the PM, who is scheduled to kickoff the saffron party's campaign in West Bengal for the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
"They took out our posters and pasted photos of TMC leaders. Our workers were also roughed up," he said.
The venues of both rallies have political significance. Thakurnagar, one of the venues, is a hub of the sizeable Matua community, who originally hail from erstwhile East Pakistan and began migrating to West Bengal in the beginning of the 1950s, mostly due to religious persecution.
The rally venue is near the house of Matua matriarch Binapani Debi. Matuas, with an estimated population of 30 lakh in West Bengal, have influence in at least five Lok Sabha seats in North and South 24 Parganas districts.
‘Ganatantra Bachao’ in Durgapur
The BJP state unit is hopeful that Modi will speak on the Citizenship (Ammendment) Bill at Thakurnagar in the circumstances, party sources said, adding that the BJP-aligned faction of All India Matua Mahasangha is organising the rally.
The Durgapur rally of the prime minister will be part of BJP's 'Ganatantra Bachao' (‘save democracy’) programme in the state.
The industrial hub of Durgapur is near the Asansol Lok Sabha constituency held by union minister Babul Supriyo.
"Just as our party president Amit Shah had started the poll campaign in Bengal from Malda in a public rally on 23 January, Modiji will kick start the campaign in Nadia and Burdwan West districts and boost our Bengal campaign," BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha told PTI.
BJP to Take on TMC, CPI
The rallies are being held at a time when the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal has upped the ante against the BJP-headed government at the Centre and has given the call to oust the Modi government in the next General Election.
The TMC had on 19 January organised a mega opposition rally which was attended by leaders of 24 parties from across the country, including the Congress.
The TMC had alleged that the CBI was being "misused" by the Centre to harass opposition parties.
Modi is scheduled to address his third rally on 8 February at Siliguri in north Bengal, one of the areas where BJP had witnessed a surge in its vote share in the last panchayat polls.
West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said apart from Modi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and many other top leaders will attend several 'Ganatantra Bachao' rallies across the state.
(With inputs from PTI)
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