Hindustan Times (Jammu)

TMC, Cong, Left depend on outsiders for votes: Shah

At a roadshow, BJP president Nadda hits out at Bengal CM, says her plight is that of a ‘defeated player’

- Letters@ hindustant­imes. com

Taking on West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for her oft-repeated ‘outsider’ barb against him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accusing her of lack of knowledge, Union home minister Amit Shah Tuesday said that it is the Trinamool Congress, Left and Congress who have to depend on outsiders.

He said that Banerjee, also Trinamool Congress supremo, terms him and Modi as outsiders but her party depends on votes from illegal immigrants.

“Am I an outsider? Am I not a citizen of the country? Didi terms the country’s prime minister as an outsider,” Shah told a poll rally at this tea garden town in Dooars area of Jalpaiguri district. Banerjee’s knowledge is “very little”, he said.

“Let me tell you Didi who are outsiders. The communists have imported their ideology from China and Russia. The leadership of Congress too is from outside - it has come from Italy. And the Trinamool Congress’ vote bank is from outside - the illegal immigrants,” the top BJP leader said.

Shah said he was born in this country and will turn to ashes in this land. “So how can I be an outsider?” Banerjee has been almost daily accusing the BJP leadership of being outsiders in West Bengal and bringing in goons from other states for the ongoing assembly elections in the state.

Shah said the TMC supremo “cannot deceive the people of the state for long” since BJP’s chief minister for West Bengal will be a son of the soil.

He maintained that Mamata Banerjee, who has been demanding his resignatio­n, will have to go on May 2, the day when the state election result will be declared.

“This election is not about my resignatio­n, but it is of yours (Banerjee’s).” Banerjee had last demanded Shah’s resignatio­n for the firing by central forces at Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar in which four people were killed in the fourth phase of polling on April 10.

Shah claimed that the chief minister has not raised the wages of tea garden workers, while she has been regularly abusing Modi “the son of a teaseller”.

The union minister said that all refugees will be given citizenshi­p by the BJP and alleged that Banerjee is unwilling to give them the right because she fears that her vote bank will not be happy with that.

“Modiji has come with 115 schemes for Bengal and Didi has given 115 scams,” Union hone minister said hitting out at teh ruling TMC.

Meanwhile, at a roadshow at Kalna in Purba Bardhaman district, BJP president J P Nadda, taking a dig at TMC’s ‘ khela hobe’ (game will be played) slogan, said that Banerjee’s plight is that of a “defeated player”.

Nadda also said that the TMC supremo, who has her accusatory finger pointed at the BJP and the Election Commission, seems to have forgotten that she has not done anything creditwort­hy for the people of the state.

“Mamata’s condition is like that of a defeated player in a game. She has done injustice to the people of the state for many years.

“The BJP, however, will usher in developmen­t, stop atrocities on women and create jobs for youth, if voted to power,” the top BJP leader said.

 ?? AFP ?? Union home minister Amit Shah during a roadshow in Siliguri on Tuesday.
AFP Union home minister Amit Shah during a roadshow in Siliguri on Tuesday.

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