Kolkata, April 11 West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday alleged that the BJP attempted to cancel her candidature from the Bhabanipur seat in South Kolkata by filing two false cases, but the attempt was thwarted by TMC workers and the public.
Banerjee, while addressing an election rally in Keshiyari in Paschim Medinipur district, accused the BJP of "forcibly" deleting the names of 90 lakh voters from the electoral rolls during the SIR exercise.
"The BJP, with the EC's help, attempted to invalidate my candidature from Bhabanipur yesterday by trying to file two false affidavits against me, but we foiled their plan," Banerjee said, without elaborating further.
She accused the BJP of "plotting to forcefully capture votes through fraudulent means as they don't have the guts to fight and win the elections democratically."
"That's why they are deleting voters' names. They are also planning to tamper with EVMs to favor their outcome," she said, describing a senior EC official as "BJP's main washing machine."
"Eventually, justice will prevail after the BJP's defeat in the assembly polls and their subsequent removal from power in Delhi," she said.
"More than 250 people have died due to the SIR exercise. Of the 90 lakh deleted voters, 60 lakh are Hindus while 30 lakh are Muslims... Since we speak in Bengali, are we not Indians? Do we need to constantly prove our citizenship?" she asked.
"SIR is a major scam that will be proven one day," Banerjee added.
She also claimed that the names of 300 members of the Missionaries of Charity of Saint Teresa had been deleted.
On BJP's promise to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in West Bengal if voted to power, Banerjee said through the UCC, the saffron party wants to impose its diktat on the people.
"They promised the UCC to take away your rights to practice your religious faith and follow rituals as per customs and tradition. By bringing the code, they want to ensure that all religious practices are the same," she said.
"UCC means one BJP, one rule. Why are you bringing in such Bills in Parliament when we are busy with the polls? Once you are not in power any more in Delhi, we will scrap such draconian Bills," she said, adding, "We will not allow its implementation in West Bengal."
Accusing the BJP of planning to manipulate EVMs, she said, "They don't want free and fair elections. On the day of counting, they will try to declare the results of those seats first where the BJP will be leading, while seats where the TMC is ahead will be counted slowly."
"After that, they would switch off the lights and tamper with the mandate of the people. Don't leave an inch to the BJP. Check the EVMs thoroughly," she added.
At another rally in Jhargram, Banerjee alleged attempts to channelize black money during elections.
"During elections, they talk about giving 33 per cent reservation for women, but what is the representation of women in their own party? Why did they not implement the promise earlier?" she asked.
She claimed the TMC had ensured over 37 per cent representation for women, with even 50 per cent participation in several areas.
Without naming Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, she said they visit the state only during elections. "They are like migratory birds. During storms and river erosions, they are missing," she claimed.
Countering Modi on the employment scenario in Bengal, she said, "We created 40 per cent more jobs in the last 14 years, while your promise to create 2 crore jobs still remain unfulfilled."
"Will Modiji and Shahji explain why the vacancies in railways and Defence forces could not be filled? Why PSUs have to be handed over to the private sector. Why the BJP government had to sell the aviation sector to the private sector?," she said.
"Please don't forget you are the PM. There is a respect to your chair, please don't belittle that," she said.
Expressing concern that the BJP might bring in people from Jharkhand on polling day, Banerjee asked party workers to remain vigilant at railway stations and bus terminals.
Alleging that there are curbs on eating meat, fish and eggs in BJP-ruled states, she said, "Who gave them the right to impose their diktat on our dietary habits?"
She further alleged that the BJP's "real agenda" behind delimitation was to send people to detention camps.
"They are threatening everybody. Around 500 administrative officials from Bengal have been transferred," Banerjee said.
At the meeting at Barjora in Bankura district, Banerjee said the fight of the TMC is not with BJP only, but with "different machineries of the Union government such as the ED, CBI and EC."
Referring to the Charge-sheeting of the TMC by BJP leaders from Delhi, she said, "My chargesheet for Modi and Shah is how you two became PM and Union Home Minister based on the 2024 voter list as your EC finds it flawed now?"
"Shouldn't your being elected as PM, HM be questioned as you and other leaders of your party have alleged the presence of lakhs of infiltrators. Why don't you step down and disband the government?" she said.
Listing the development initiatives of her government, she said a Rs 72,000-crore project 'Jangal Sundari' is coming up at Raghunathpur in Purulia linked with Dankuni-Ragunathpur economic corridor