Mamata, Rahul must clarify their stand on nation's security vs vote bank politics: Amit Shah in Kolkata

Addressing the rally at downtown Kolkata, Shah attacked West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her flip-flops over the NRC, which excluded more than four million people of Assam.

Citing Mamata's earlier pro-NRC stance, Shah said: "In 2005, Mamata Banerjee had thrown papers at the Speaker's chair while seeking an exclusion of Bangladeshi migrants from West Bengal. But now she and her TMC are trying to protect them. They want to keep the Bangladeshi migrants in Assam and India.

"Mamata and Rahul must come clear whether they are concerned about the nation's security or want to play vote bank politics. The Congress chief should also clarify whether he is opposing his party's earlier anti-migrants stance or not."

Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who is Rahul's late grandmother, spoke in favour of throwing immigrants out of the country irrespective of their religions during her tenure.

Shah took the names of Mamata and Rahul together multiple times at the rally in the state, where the Congress has a mere presence unlike the TMC.

Shah's comment had a genesis in Mamata's full fledged attack against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government over its step to introduce NRC.

The West Bengal Chief Minister even had said the country will be in a situation of "civil war" and "bloodbath" if NRC is implemented. Mamata's comment had triggered widespread political repercussions including several First Information Reports (FIRs) filed against her name.

Taking a dig at Mamata's recent Delhi tour, where she made the controversial "civil war" remark, Shah said the TMC supremo must stop creating confusions among people.

Also Shah reinstated that foreigners will be ousted from Assam in accordance with the law.

In a 20 odd-minute speech, Shah also touched upon the alleged corruptions by the ruling TMC.

Saying the BJP will free the eastern state from scams if comes to power, Shah even did not spare Mamata's nephew Abhishek Banerjee, who is a Lok Sabha MP from Diamond Harbour constituency of West Bengal.

The BJP chief said: "After coming to power, Mamata gave birth to Narada, Saradha, Rose Valley scams and also the scams by his nephew."

Traversing back to the panchayat polls where the ruling TMC was accused of resorting to violence, Shah said: "In the panchayat polls, 34% of seats went uncontested which was unprecedented."

"Despite the candidates being not allowed to file nominations, the BJP had won in 7000 seats," Shah added.

Painting a corrupt image of the TMC government even at the administrative level, Shah said people of West Bengal are not getting the money sanctioned by the central government as "they are looted by syndicates and nephew (Abhishek Banerjee)."

"Mamata was in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) but had got Rs 1,32,000 cr in the 13th Finance Commission. The state got Rs 3,69,000 cr in the 14th Finance Commission under Modi government, but the money is not reaching people," he said.

Accusing the TMC of appeasing minorities in the last part of his speech, Shah reminded people how the state government had suspended the Durga idol immersion over the clash of dates of Dussera and Muhurram. Also he said the BJP government if it comes to power, "will allow the immersion of idols on particular dates".

"There is a limit to appeasement and vote bank politics" the BJP chief said.

Urging the crowd to vote in favour of the BJP in the next elections, Shah said it is not the TMC, Congress or Left but the saffron party which will revive the lost culture of West Bengal.

"The tunes of Rabindra Sangeet in districts have been replaced by bombings. Now only the BJP will revive the lost culture of the state. Congress, Left and TMC were all tested and failed. Give one chance to Narendra Modi, he will do development."

(Images by Avishek Mitra/IBNS)