New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday said that “anyone who is not a citizen of India and has entered the country illegally will continue to face legal action in accordance with the Constitution.”
Though speaking in Bengal two days after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had attacked the EC’s electoral roll revision exercise, claiming it aimed to disenfranchise voters in Bengal and Bihar, the PM made no reference to her comment. Without naming Mamata, PM was responding to Mamata’s allegation that the BJP was orchestrating the removal of genuine voters in Bengal through the EC exercise.
The PM also attacked the TMC for “goonda tax”, and also said that under TMC rule, there could be no development and investment in Bengal.
While addressing a rally of BJP workers in Durgapur, PM Modi said, “Let me say this clearly from the land of Durgapur—anyone who is not a citizen of India, anyone who has entered the country illegally, legal action will continue against them as per the Constitution of India.”
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had warned the BJP: “Dire political backlash will start if the BJP tries to detain and deport Bengali migrants.” Holding a protest march in Kolkata, Mamata said, “In February, the Central govt secretly issued a notification that anyone found suspicious should be put in detention centres.”
Speaking partly in Bengali, the PM asked BJP cadre to remove Mamata Banerjee. He said, “Goonda tax of Bengal has deterred investors, Bengal is not safe unless TMC is removed from power. Growth in Bengal is not possible.” He added, “Even our daughters and mothers are not safe in hospitals, and the irony is that TMC is protecting the accused.”
PM Modi said, “The mistreatment of women by a party that preaches the values of Maa, Mati, and Manush deeply pains and angers me. It is disheartening to witness such actions occurring on the very land of Kadambini Ganguly, India’s first female western-trained medical doctor.”
The PM said, “When a doctor daughter was tortured here, the TMC government got busy saving the accused. The country had not yet recovered from this incident when another girl was brutally tortured in another college. The accused in this incident also have connections with the TMC. Together we have to free Bengal from this cruelty.”
PM Modi said TMC was standing like a wall in the way of Bengal’s development, and unless this wall was removed, development was not possible. The PM said, “The very day this wall of TMC government falls, Bengal will pick up a new pace of development. Only when the TMC government goes, will real change come.”
Slamming the Mamata Banerjee government, PM Modi said, “Instead of new industries coming, old ones are shutting down. TMC’s goonda tax is deterring investors.” He added that once Bengal used to be the hub of India’s development, businesses and attracted people from across the country seeking opportunities.
“Cities like Durgapur, Bardhaman, and Asansol played an important role in accelerating the nation’s industrial growth. However, the scenario has changed drastically. Today, the youth of West Bengal find themselves compelled to migrate in search of better prospects. Instead of witnessing the emergence of new industries, the state is grappling with the shutdown of existing businesses. It is imperative to lift Bengal out of this challenging phase.
“Why will investors come to Bengal where riots take place and police are biased? Money is being demanded from businessmen, the people of the TMC threaten them… The goonda tax of TMC obstructs investment in the state,” he said.
Slamming the TMC over the teachers’ job scam and the violence in Murshidabad, the PM said, “Syndicate rule is governing Bengal. Police took one-sided action. When people of the state are not secure, why will investors come?”
The PM said, “TMC is against investment and job creation in West Bengal. Riots like Murshidabad happen in West Bengal and the police take unilateral action. There is no hope of justice in West Bengal. The state government cannot protect the lives of the people of the state… Be it primary education or higher education, it is being ruined at every level. The TMC government has handed over the education system of Bengal to crime and corruption. Thousands of qualified teachers are unemployed today, the biggest reason for this is the corruption of TMC. This has created crises for thousands of families and the future of lakhs of children is in the dark due to a lack of teachers. The TMC has put both the present and future of Bengal in crisis.”
“The TMC is attacking the state’s education system through corruption and crime. Thousands of teachers are unemployed due to the corruption of the TMC government. The court also said that this is a systemic fraud,” the PM said.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
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