Saltora (WB)

 TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday asked if the BJP thought it could stop the West Bengal's ruling party using the ED and the Election Commission, following recent ED raids and the ongoing SIR of electoral rolls.

Addressing a party rally here in Bankura district, Banerjee said the TMC would not bow to pressure from central agencies.

"Does the BJP think it can stop us with the ED and the Election Commission? The TMC will never bow to any such pressure," he said at the rally.

"I want to tell Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to know the history of Bengal, the contributions of Swami Vivekananda, Raja Rammohan Roy, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Iswarchandra Vidyasagar in nation building.

He claimed that had Mamata Banerjee not been there, the CPI(M) would have continued to rule the state, referring to the TMC’s victory in the 2011 Assembly elections.

Alleging that Bengalis were being subjected to atrocities in the name of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being conducted by the Election Commission, Banerjee said several people died by suicide or were taken ill owing to it.

"Those who are responsible for the deaths will have to be dealt with politically," he said.

Banerjee claimed that those speaking in Bengali are being termed as Bangladeshi in some states.

The TMC leader claimed that West Bengal's dues of Rs 2 lakh-crore is not being released by the Centre.

Referring to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Banerjee said the BJP had won two seats from Bankura district and asked where the party’s report card was on the work it had done.

"We have released a report card of the work done by the Trinamool Congress government in 15 years," he said, maintaining that political fights should be on the basis of information and data with regard to roads, infrastructure, housing, water supply, healthcare and job creation.

"The Mamata Banerjee government is in power for 15 years and the Narendra Modi dispensation is at the helm at the Centre for 12 years, what have they done for Bankura district?" the TMC leader asked, daring the BJP to come up with its report card.

Banerjee asserted that the TMC government has not only put an end to Maoist terror in Jangalmahal region, within which Bankura is situated, but has provided educational and healthcare facilities.

He alleged that the Centre was withholding funds under schemes such as Jal Jeevan Mission, road infrastructure projects and MGNREGA.

The TMC leader alleged that job creation by way of private coal mining is hampered owing to long-drawn procedures for permission, including that from the director general of mines safety in Ranchi.

Stating that the state government has 133 hectares in the region where at least 18 mines can be set up, the TMC second-in-command said he has spoken about it with the CM.

"The Chief Minister’s Office has directed all departments concerned to ensure that permission processes are cleared within two months, by the end of March, which is expected to generate around 25,000 jobs," he said.

Stating that only four out of 12 assembly constituencies in Bankura district were won by TMC candidates in 2021 while the BJP secured the rest, Banerjee urged people to vote for all TMC candidates in the upcoming election.

"You will get your rights if TMC wins and you will be deprived of those if the BJP wins," he said.

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Referring to a remark allegedly made by a BJP leader that women in the state receiving Rs 1,000 per month under the Lokkhir Bhandar scheme should be "kept locked," Banerjee said the election results would show that the mothers of Bengal would "lock the saffron party."

He said the TMC government spends around Rs 27,000 crore annually to provide monetary benefits under Lokkhir Bhandar and added, "As long as the TMC government is there, this benefit will continue; this is our commitment."