Addressing a rally in Cooch Behar in West Bengal, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said that BJP will win over 200 seats in the state and alleged that Mamta Banerjee is depriving poor people of central schemes meant for them. "TMC did nothing for the people of Bengal," he said.
"Once BJP comes to power in Bengal, in the 1st cabinet meeting, we will transfer the money from the Central scheme to farmers that were blocked by the Mamata government Mamata Banerjee will not be Chief Minister post-May," he said.
He further stated that after the end of the election, Banerjee too will chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’.
"Jai Shri Ram chant is an insult to Mamata Banerjee. Why? So many people take pride in this chant. Why do you get insulted by this slogan? Because you have to appease one section for votes," Shah said.
"If slogans of Jai Shri Ram are not raised here, will it be raised in Pakistan?", the BJP leader said launching the party's 'poriborton yatra' from Coochbehar.
"This yatra is not to change the chief minister, not to replace a minister or an MLA. This 'poribirton yatra' is to change the situation of Bengal, to stop border intrusion. We will make a state where a bird will also not be able to cross the border," he said.
Shah said many BJP workers have been killed in Bengal, alleging that under Mamata Banerjee’s rule an environment of fear and panic has been created amongst people. He said more than 130 BJP workers were killed by TMC goons in Bengal and Mamata government has taken no actions.
"Once our government comes to power, each of the murderers will be sent to jail... Such an environment has been created in Bengal that raising Jai Shri Ram slogans has become a crime,” Shah added.
Referring to Banerjee’s announcement of contesting elections from Nandigram from where her ex-aide Suvendu Adhikari will also contest the polls, Shah said, "In 2017, Mamata Banerjee had said BJP will get zero in West Bengal. But then you gave 18 seats to BJP. Now, she is looking for seats — from where she can contest.”
Speaking on Centre's Budget allocation to West Bengal, the minister said that the Centre plans to convert North Bengal into a major tourist hub, and added that if people of Bengal bring BJP into power Bengal, “will be a land of both Ram Navami and Durga Puja."
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Shah also mentioned about the Netaji’s birth anniversary celebration where Mamata left the stage after she was greeted with 'Jai Shri Ram' slogans. Shah said didi fights with Modiji, but she should not have fought on Netaji’s birth anniversary celebration.
Shah is on a visit in West Bengal ahead of Assembly polls and BJP is becoming a major challenge to the Trinamool Congress (TMC).