Terming the Kolkata flyover collapse tragedy an “act of fraud”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday made corruption the centre-piece of his no-holds-barred attack against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
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He also attacked the Congress for having “fallen at the Left’s feet” in the state for political expediency.
“Bribing for tenders has been caught on the camera, yet Didi keeps mum and she is even defending the accused”, he said referring to the Narada sting operation. It was such a big scandal, but did Didi take any step against them, or expel them from the party?
Mr Modi, campaigning for his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said the collapse was the result of corrupt practices under Banerjee’s ruling Trinamool Congress state government.
“This business of money and death led to the collapse of the Vivekananda bridge”, Mr Modi said.
Turning to yesterday’s first phase election in 18 constituencies which had recorded a heavy turnout of 81 per cent, she said, “It was a vote against Congress, CPIM and BJP”.
Dispelling the perception of a Modi-Mamata tacit understanding, the PM tore into the chief minister.
The Prime Minister’s meeting at Asansol, from where Babul Supriyo was elected had a huge turnout despite the heat.
Speaking at a meeting in Asansol, part of his second series of election meetings in West Bengal, Mr. Modi raised the pitch on the flyover issue, accusing the Chief Minister of boycotting meetings called by the Centre. She talked about Ma-Mati-Manush, but there is only maut [death] and money. But now, the Left, the Congress and now the Trinamool have destroyed Bengal.
He said the alliance is fooling people for they are fighting in Kerala and shaking hands in West Bengal.
Pointing to Banerjee’s “closeness” to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Modi also ridiculed the Left Front-Congress tie up.
“The poor people in the country have opened their bank accounts and the subsidies they get go directly to their accounts”, he added. “But now see the people’s anger, the Congress’ strength has come down to 40 seats”, he said.
“These are not words befitting of the Prime Minister of India. Is it democracy?” he said.
“I want to ask Didi, if this flyover would have been completed and while inaugurating it, would you have said the contract was given by the Left?” She said it started during the Left regime. “I am saying this with a heavy heart”, she said. “She should have taken strong action against those involved in it”.
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“Instead of talking about development, Didi and the Left are busy blaming each other over rapes, crime and corruption”. “The only agenda of my government is to bring rapid all-round development”. Modi is, and has always been during his entire tenure, evading responsibility, “said Mishra”.
