Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed a public rally in West Bengal’s Singur, stressing his appreciation of the state’s language and culture ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. He highlighted the establishment of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose’s statue next to the India Gate in Delhi, and Bangla’s recognition as a classical language.
“It was the BJP government which established Netaji Subash Chandra Bose’s statue at the Kartavya Path in Delhi in front of India Gate… Bangla language and literature is very prominent but Bangla was recognised as a classical language when you (people) blessed me. The BJP government’s efforts also led to Durga Puja being named as a UNESCO cultural heritage,” PM Modi said in Singur.
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This pitch may be seen as an effort to counter West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee’s “outsider” tag for the PM and his party BJP. CM Mamata had, in the previous assembly election in 2021, successfully used the “outsider” pitch against the Saffron Party, and moulded the polls as a fight between “them” and “Bengal’s daughter”.
PM Modi also accused the TMC government of “preventing” the benefits of central schemes from reaching the people of Bengal in Singur. The town was significant in Mamata Banerjee’s rise, with the TMC chief leading an agitation there in 2006 against the Left Front government in Bengal, which had sought to acquire nearly 1,000 acres of farmland for Tata Motors’ Nano car project.
“Every government that obstructs development work is now continuously punished by aware voters. The people of Bengal have resolved to teach a lesson to TMC’s ruthless government so that Ayushman Bharat can reach the poor here as well,” the Prime Minister claimed during the rally.
He cited a digital platform to help fishermen wherein they can register, adding that this work had come to a halt in Bengal. “TMC is not cooperating, preventing fishermen from benefiting from schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana,” PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister said it was “necessary” for TMC’s “jungle raj” to end in Bengal, adding that it should be replaced by BJP’s “good governance.”