Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a whirlwind stop in Kolkata on Saturday and blew the poll bugle in Bengal where over 60 lakh voters are unsure if they will get to vote in the Assembly election – that could be days away – with the Election Commission’s special intensive revision of electoral rolls process still not fully complete.
Modi’s stop in Bengal included inaugurating a slew of projects worth Rs 18,680 crore and a meeting at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground – near where he arrived in a helicopter – with the entire state unit on the dais waiting for the PM.
Here are six highlights of the prime minister’s roughly 50-minute speech at the BJP’s Parivartan Sankalp Yatra, the beginning and ending of which was in Bengali and the rest in Hindi.
Change and demography
“The upcoming Assembly elections are not just about changing the government, but about saving Bengal’s soul. The demography of many areas of Bengal changed due to infiltration, turning Hindus into minorities…. The Trinamool opposed the granting of citizenship to Hindu refugees as it doesn’t consider them as its vote bank.”
SIR and Election Commission
“Every day they [Trinamool] find new excuses to attack constitutional bodies like the Election Commission. Whenever the issue of free and fair elections comes up, they go on attack mode. They raise questions the integrity of the body that is responsible for conducting free and fair elections. They raise similar questions on the country’s army too. When Balakot [surgical strikes] took place they had demanded evidence be produced.”
‘Atmosphere of fear in Bengal’
“They [Trinamool] have made Bengal insecure. Openly threats are being issued that a particular community will end your lives. Such words do not behove someone holding a constitutional post. Threats are the Trinamool’s political legacy. The world should see the atmosphere of fear that has been created in Bengal. They say anyone who does not vote for Trinamool is not a Bengali. I am reminding the Trinamool their days of intimidation are coming to an end. The countdown to Trinamool’s departure has started.”
Brain drain and migration
“The cruel government has cursed the youth of Bengal to flee from the state. Bengal’s youth are hard-working. The youth here are neither getting degrees nor jobs. The Trinamool is openly selling jobs. Time has come to change the situation. Bengal’s youth will now get jobs in their home state. This is Modi’s guarantee that their dream will come true. Trinamool does not do any work, nor does it allow anyone else to work. Without cut-money they do not allow the benefits of any central scheme to reach the grassroots.”
‘Jungle raj will come to an end’
“Jungle raj will come to an end now. From every corner of Bengal people demand the BJP to come to power. On Friday, the Trinamool called all of you thief. The people of Bengal know who the thief is really. The cruel government is using every means possible to save itself. They tried to stop your vehicles. They blocked roads and bridges. The cruel government can see they could not stop you. The rule of law will prevail now.”
Modi’s guarantee: Women’s safety in Bengal
“Wherever any criminal activity takes place the links can be traced to the Trinamool. Every attempt is made to save the perpetrators. People have not forgotten Sandeshkhali, RG Kar. Everybody has seen how Trinamool protects the criminals. The women are told to return home early, before the sun sets. Once the BJP comes to power, this will change. This is Modi’s guarantee.”
