PM Modi tears apart Mamata in Siliguri, attacks Congress at brigade rally; TMC chief hits back

Tearing apart West Bengal's ruling party Trinamool Congress in Siliguri, Modi on Wednesday said Banerjee is acting as a speed breaker to the development of the state.

"We have launched a number of developmental schemes but people of Bengal are not benefiting from them because Didi (Mamata Banerjee) is acting as a speed breaker," the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister accused the state government of not allowing several central government schemes including Ayushman Bharat to run in West Bengal.

PM Modi in Siliguri rally. (Image Credit: twitter.com/narendramodi)

Hitting out at the Chief Minister for asking for proofs of Balakot airstrike, which was conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) post-Pulwama terror attack, Modi said only Pakistan and Mamata Banerjee were unhappy over India's response.

Trinamool supremo Banerjee had raised doubts over the number of terrorists killed in the airstrike.

Not just Balakot, Modi had hit out at the Trinamool chief over chit fund scams, National Register of Citizens (NRC) issue.

"Mamata Banerjee's ministers, MLAs and leaders have looted poor people's money through the chit funds," the Prime Minister said.

(Image Credit: Avishek Mitra/IBNS)

Also Modi raised the National Register of Citizens (NRC) issue to state all illegal immigrants will be thrown out but asked Gorkhas not to worry.

"Looking at the huge crowd, I am now sure that Didi's boat has sank," Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s main campaigner, said. 

Modi held the rally at Siliguri in north Bengal eight days prior to the beginning of Lok Sabha elections. West Bengal's two constituencies- Alipurduar and Coochbehar- will go to polls in the first phase on Apr 11.

Modi targets Congress at Brigade

Shifting his stance slightly, Narendra Modi spared more words for his arch-rival Congress, which was decimated by the BJP in the 2014 General Elections.

A day after Congress made some lofty promises in its poll manifesto, Modi, the BJP's poster-boy, said the manifesto will expire on May 23, the day when the votes will be counted.

Modi also accused the Congress of demoralising the Indian soldiers.

"In their manifesto, the Congress has stated that they will dilute AFSPA. This move will help Pakistan sponsored terrorist. The Congress is determined to bring instability in the country," Modi said.

PM Modi in Brigade (Image Credit: Avishek Mitra/IBNS)

In the manifesto, the Congress has proposed to reduce the presence of the Indian Army and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) in the Kashmir Valley.

The party also proposed in its manifesto that the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and the Disturbed Areas Act in Jammu and Kashmir will be reviewed.

Speaking on the surgical strike conducted by the IAF in recent times,  Modi said: "Our forces had the courage to carry out air and surgical strikes. The only thing the country lacked was a resolute government." 

Congress, which is having a mere presence in West Bengal, had won four seats in the state in the 2014 General Elections.

Modi babu is expiry babu, says Mamata Banerjee

Within few hours of Narendra Modi's Siliguri rally, Mamata Banerjee, who also began her poll campaign from north Bengal on Wednesday, replied sharply to the Prime Minister in her trademark style.

Addressing a rally at Dinhata in Coochbehar district, Banerjee, who on Wednesday once again offered a Presidential-style of debate to Modi, said the Prime Minister's term has expired and won't return to power in the 2019 General Election.

"Modi babu is now an expiry babu,' Banerjee said.

Mamata Banerjee in Dinhata rally (Image Credit: twitter.com/AITCofficial)

Interestingly, Banerjee had preponed her Dinhata rally by a day in an apparent move to counter Modi.

Replying to the Prime Minister's attack on Balakot, Banerjee made startling claim that Modi was aware of the Pulwama terror attack before hand on the basis of intelligence input.

She said: "You (BJP) are referring to the Army as "Modiji's Sena". You are playing with the blood of martyred soldiers. Don't you feel shame?"

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP leader, Yogi Adityanath, recently triggered a row by calling the Indian Army as the Army of Modi.

Over the NRC issue, Banerjee mocked the Prime Minister's words saying, "Let BJP first come to power in West Bengal. It won't get a single seat this time."

Countering Modi's attack over Ayushman Bharat, the scheme from which the state government has withdrawn itself, the Chief Minister said her government's Swasthyasathi scheme is much better that the Centre's one. "The state government had to fund around 40 per cent of money required for Ayushman Bharat. So we have made our own scheme Swasthyasathi."

Trinamool-BJP face-off in Lok Sabha Elections 2019

Though BJP had won only two seats in the last General Elections, the saffron unit has emerged as the main challenger to the Trinamool in recent by-polls, which were all won by Mamata Banerjee's outfit.

BJP chief Amit Shah has already stated his party is set to win 23 seats in West Bengal in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

On the other hand, Trinamool gave a call to win all 42 seats and Banerjee's urge to her voters on Wednesday was no different.