Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday set the political tone for the saffron brigade in Bengal as he took to X to allege corruption and poor governance of the state's ruling party, the Trinamool Congress.
“I will be addressing a BJP West Bengal public meeting in Alipurduar tomorrow afternoon. Over the last decade, the various schemes of the NDA Government have been greatly appreciated by the people of West Bengal. At the same time, they are tired of the corruption and poor administration of the TMC,” Modi posted on his official X handle a day before his proposed visit to Alipurduar.
Modi's visit to Bengal will also be his first after Operation Sindoor.
While the post has bolstered the confidence of BJP leaders and workers in Bengal, the TMC reacted sharply, pointing out the central funds freeze in the state and terming his visit as that of “migratory birds”.
“Time and again, we have mentioned the SSC scam, corruption in panchayats and how TMC leaders have illegally minted money. Also, our leaders have highlighted how the governance has failed in the state and the pathetic state of law and order here,” said a BJP MP.
“Now that the Prime Minister has mentioned these issues, it will encourage us to reach out to people and stress these issues as the Assembly elections will be due in a year. We expect to hear some more from him tomorrow (Thursday),” the MLA added.
Trinamool rebuttal
The TMC on X referred to Modi’s post and termed his trip as the visit of migratory birds. In earlier polls, TMC played the “migratory bird” and “outsider” card to undermine the visits of central ministers and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states.
“Since the migratory birds are making their seasonal visit to Bengal, why not answer one simple question: Why is the Centre still withholding Bengal’s rightful dues amounting to Rs. 1.7 lakh crore?” the TMC posted.
It also carried a hashtag, “#AayeHoTohBataKeJao” (Now that you have come, reply before leaving), which hinted that the TMC was set to exert pressure on the BJP over the financial deprivation issue.
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh pointed out that his party’s national general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee was currently touring different countries and speaking as a representative of India.
“It is unfortunate that he (Modi) is maligning Bengal through social media posts with falsehood and visiting the state only for narrow political gains. Why did you not visit Manipur when the state was in crisis? Why did you not visit bordering villages near Pakistan where TMC representatives have been present?" said Ghosh.
“Mamata Banerjee has paid the pending wages of MGNREGA workers. The state government has funded the rural housing units. I am compelled to say that you are merely a political traveller to Bengal,” Ghosh said.
In his post, Modi added that on Thursday he would lay the foundation stone for the city gas distribution (CGD) project in Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts.
“The project, worth over ₹1,010 crore, aims to provide piped natural gas (PNG) to more than 2.5 lakh households, over 100 commercial establishments and industries, besides providing compressed natural gas (CNG) to vehicular traffic by establishing around 19 CNG stations.... It will provide a convenient, reliable, environment-friendly, and cost-effective fuel supply and create employment opportunities in the region,” said a release issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) on Wednesday.
Sikkim itinerary
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday will also visit the Himalayan state of Sikkim, which sits on the India-China border, to join the 50th anniversary celebrations of its statehood. Sikkim merged with India in 1975.
“I look forward to being among my sisters and brothers of Sikkim to participate in a programme to mark Sikkim@50. India is very proud of the contribution of Sikkim towards national progress. The unique culture of Sikkim is also widely admired," Modi wrote on his X handle.
Modi will attend a government function at the Pajlor Stadium in Gangtok and lay foundation stones and inaugurate multiple development projects in the state, including a 500-bed district hospital worth over ₹750 crore in Namchi, a passenger ropeway at Sangachoeling in Pelling of Gyalshing district, and a statue of Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the Atal Amrit Udyan at Sangkhola of Gangtok.
To mark the 50th anniversary of Sikkim's statehood, Modi will also release a commemorative coin and stamp, said sources.
Additional reporting by Snehamoy Chakraborty in Calcutta
