The Trinamool Congress on Saturday mounted a sharp counteroffensive on the BJP and dubbed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally at the Brigade Parade Ground as a “B-grade rally”.
Trinamool also accused the BJP of political theatrics, cultural appropriation, administrative neglect and promotion of fascism.
Soon after Modi addressed the gathering, senior Trinamool leaders and state ministers Bratya Basu and Shashi Panja, along with Jadavpur MP Saayoni Ghosh, held a news meet at party headquarters Trinamool Bhavan, where they launched a series of allegations against the BJP government at the Centre.
An acerbic Panja called the rally “B-grade”.
Ghosh questioned the Prime Minister’s recent absence from Parliament amid ongoing issues of national concern. “It is quite shocking that the Prime Minister was missing from Parliament for weeks despite controversies surrounding the SIR and the ongoing crisis related to LPG supply. Yet he appeared in Calcutta today (Saturday) as a BJP campaigner. That the Prime Minister is roaming across states primarily as a campaign minister for his party is unfortunate for people of this country,” Ghosh alleged.
She accused the Centre of failing to address the “serious shortage” of LPG cylinders due to the West Asia conflict, which led to eateries shutting down and common consumers waiting in long queues for cylinders.
Trinamool asked how a large number of domestic LPG cylinders were seen at the Brigade venue at a time like this.
It ridiculed what it termed the BJP’s attempt to demonstrate proximity to Bengal’s culture, referring to the replica of the Dakshineswar Kali Temple at the rally.
Describing it as a sign of “cultural bankruptcy,” Ghosh said chief minister Mamata Banerjee did not need replicas of religious sites to prove her connect with people. “Mamata Banerjee does not require replicas of the Dakshineswar or Kalighat temples, a mosque or even St Paul’s Cathedral to establish her devotion or accessibility,” said the Jadavpur MP. “She (Mamata) has direct access to people from all communities.”
“What the BJP attempted today in the name of ‘bhakti’ only reminds one of the behaviour of a thief,” the Jadavpur MP added.
The Trinamool leaders also accused the Centre of “double standard” toward Bengal even as Modi on Saturday inaugurated projects worth over ₹18,000 crore in the state.
According to Ghosh, several central funds meant for welfare schemes in Bengal remain unpaid.
“Although the Centre is supposed to release funds for the 100-days job scheme under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, in reality it is the state government that is currently paying wages to beneficiaries,” she told reporters.
She further alleged that funds under centrally supported programmes such as the Jal Jeevan Mission and rural road schemes had also not been fully released for Bengal.
Claiming that the total amount due to Bengal from the Centre under various welfare schemes stood at nearly ₹2 lakh crore, Ghosh said that the people of the state were well aware of what she termed the BJP’s political motives and would give it “fitting reply” in the Assembly elections.
Responding to the BJP’s repeated and scathing criticism of unemployment in Bengal, Ghosh argued that joblessness was higher in several BJP-ruled states.
“According to the available data, unemployment stands at around 8.9 per cent in Uttarakhand, followed by 8.2 per cent in Andhra Pradesh and 7.4 per cent in Rajasthan. In Bengal, it is only about 3.2 per cent,” she claimed.
Referring to reports by human rights organisations, the Trinamool leadership claimed that incidents of crimes against women had increased by nearly 46 per cent in India during the BJP’s 12-year tenure.
Taking the attack further, Ghosh criticised the Prime Minister’s foreign policy stance, accusing him of showing weakness before US President Donald Trump.
Minister Bratya Basu accused the BJP of attempting to create tension in Bengal to gain power.
Basu also accused Modi of targeting the minority communities in his speeches and warned that repeated use of divisive rhetoric by a statesman could push politics toward authoritarianism.
The Trinamool leadership mocked the BJP’s slogan of “Paltano dorkar (Change is needed)”, suggesting that the BJP first change its own strategy if it wanted a connect with Bengal’s people.