Modi reaches out to weaker sections at Bengal rally

Kolkata: In an effort to reach out to the Scheduled Castes and Matuas that constitute more than 15 percent of the electorate of the state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured justice to all refugees, Matua and Namasudra and at the same time criticised the Trinamool Congress for equating them with beggars.

Speaking at a rally in Matua-dominated Kalyani in Nadia district Modi said, "Didi did not like my going to Orakandi in Bangladesh where the founder of the Matua sect and social reformer Harichand Thakur was born. She raised questions over my visit...I have come to assure you today that all refugees will get all facilities due to them, they will get justice. For the BJP, providing justice to all refugees, Matua and Namasudra brothers, is also an emotional commitment."

Modi not only assured justice, at the same time he castigated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over a TMC leader and candidate's comments against the Scheduled Castes comparing them with beggars.

"Didi calls herself a Royal Bengal Tiger. You tell me is it possible for someone to say such things without her permission? Such comments hurt the soul of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar. Such a seriously objectionable comment has been made but Didi hasn't condemned it or apologised for it.

"You have committed the biggest mistake, the biggest sin by insulting Dalits, Didi," Modi said in a separate rally in Barasat in North 24 Parganas on the same day.

The prime minister alleged Banerjee''s appeasement politics hurt the Matua and Namsudra communities and they had to pay commission to "TMC's extortionists" even to obtain scheduled caste certificates.

Earlier on Monday addressing an election rally in Bardhaman district Modi said, 'Didi's anger, bitterness, fussiness is rising' as she has realised that her party has failed to gain a majority in the four phases of polling in the West Bengal election 2021. He said that the people of Bengal have hit so many fours and sixes in the first four phases of the assembly polls that the BJP has already completed its century and the TMC is on course to be wiped out.

"People of Bengal have clean bowled Didi in Nandigram and have asked her entire team to leave the field," he told an election rally in Bardhaman.

Coming down hard on the chief minister, Modi said Didi ruled in Bengal for 10 years in the name of 'Ma Mati Manush' but she keeps saying 'Modi, Modi, Modi' in rallies these days. Didi has only created a mess in the name of governance.

Mocking the "Ma, Mati, Manush" slogan, the prime minister said, "Tormenting "Ma", looting "Mati" (motherland) and bloodshed of "Manush" (people) is its reality. BJP's agenda is sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas...TMC's path is 'Maa ko satao', 'Mati ko looto' and bloodshed of people."

Modi alleged that Mamata Banerjee instigated people against the central forces on election duty in the state.