Kolkata, March 14 The TMC on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of creating a "false narrative" about employment and the overall situation in West Bengal during his rally at Brigade Parade Ground here, alleging that he was acting as a BJP campaigner rather than the Prime Minister.
TMC MP Saayoni Ghosh told a press conference that while Modi claimed to have sanctioned thousands of crores of rupees for the state's development, the Centre had actually withheld around Rs 2 lakh crore in dues to the state.
"Modiji has claimed he has sanctioned Rs 18,000 crore to Bengal. On one hand, he is providing this 'lollipop', and on the other, he has blocked Rs 2 lakh crore dues to the state for various projects, from the 100 days' work scheme to housing for the poor and drinking water supply," she alleged.
"While Modi ji has failed to attend Parliament and address MPs for days, he is attending BJP meetings and coming regularly to the state before elections. He is behaving more as a BJP campaigner than the Prime Minister of the country," she claimed.
Ghosh also rejected Modi’s remarks on employment in the state, claiming that West Bengal has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country at 3.7 per cent.
"BJP-ruled states like Uttarakhand top the unemployment figures," the MP from Jadavpur in Kolkata claimed.
She further alleged that the Prime Minister had ignored the concerns of farmers, noting that he did not visit the site of the farmers’ protest near New Delhi in 2022.
"The TMC government in West Bengal has provided a minimum support price for products like potatoes to help farmers avoid distress sales. His narrative about Bengal falls flat," she said.
Education Minister Bratya Basu alleged that Modi’s repeated references to "infiltrators", "Bangladeshis" and Rohingya were unsubstantiated claims.
"He failed to explain how many among the 58 lakh names missing from the electoral rolls were Rohingyas or Bangladeshis," Basu said, accusing the BJP of trying to polarise voters.
He said the Prime Minister’s speech reflected the BJP’s "divisive agenda" to pit communities against each other for electoral gains, adding that the "liberal and progressive-minded people of the state" would not be swayed by such rhetoric.
About Modi beginning and concluding his speech in Bengali, Basu alleged, “In BJP-ruled states, people are tortured and pushed back to Bangladesh only for speaking in Bengali. Why do you have so many problems with Bengalis?”
He claimed that, according to data compiled by Human Rights Watch, out of the 173 speeches of PM Modi, 110 speeches are hateful and humiliating towards minorities.
“They have stated that if this continues, India is just one step away from fascism,” Basu said.
Senior minister Shashi Panja, who was also present at the press meet, questioned the BJP’s call for "parivartan", alleging that "hooligans sheltered by the BJP" had attacked her residence, intending to kill her earlier in the day.
Claiming that people from outside Bengal have been brought in large numbers to attend the PM’s rally, she said, “Who are these people that you have brought to fill the ground? Are they from Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, etc?”
Panja said she will file a police complaint against the unidentified attackers carrying BJP flags.
Alleging several LPG cylinders were used to cook food for the rallyists, Ghosh said, “There is an LPG shortage. Gas is not available for even 45 days in villages and 21 days in urban areas after booking, and restaurants are closing. Our mothers will be shocked to know that so many cylinders were procured for a rally.”
Referring to the replica of Dakshineswar Kali Temple kept on Modi’s rally podium, she said, “Did you ever see TMC putting up a stage with the structure of a temple, mosque or church for its political meeting? At least we do not have to do such things to get people's votes.”
Ghosh said that if the BJP leaders think that they can win the assembly election, likely to be held next month, through violence, they are mistaken.
“You have used all your agencies, including ED and CBI, and yet all your narratives failed. ECI is not the Election Commission of India but the commission of the BJP,” the TMC leader said.
About Modi invoking icons of Bengal, she said that the PM is talking about Rabindranath Tagore, but a few days ago, a BJP party leader called him Rabindranath Sanyal.
“Your (Delhi) CM Rekha Gupta couldn’t even take the name of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose correctly. A few days back, you called Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay ‘Bankim Da’," she said.