Political violence and syndicatisation were the two high spots of Mamata Banerjee Government, BJP president Amit Shah said on Tuesday.
launching a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress Government, Shah told a gathering of intellectuals in Kolkata that a large share of Central funds sent to the State for its development had ended up in the hands of syndicates.
“Thousands of crores have been sent to the State but most of this money has gone into the hands of the syndicates. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will have to account for the lost funds” Shah said wondering “did you bring the ‘Blue (Trinamool Congress) Government’ by throwing out the Red Government to see this day.”
A time had come when the intellectuals — who led the struggle against the left Government to bring Trinamool to power — should take the lead again and “question the Government because the poor people are too afraid to raise their voices.” Shah was speaking at a gathering of intellectuals on the last day of his three-day visit to Bengal.
Subsequently he accused the State Government for unleashing a reign of terror in the State. “Bengal is perhaps the most violent State in the world.” Here the people who nourish rival views were attacked by the ruling party cadres “their houses are set on fire, shops are looted limbs broken because they support a different political ideology,” Shah said wondering “whether this is the State Tagore and Vivekanand.”
Earlier he met a group of BJP workers who were victims of the Trinamool attacks. “I met the family members of the victims of political violence in Bengal in the last six months. They revealed the tale of political vengeance they suffered in the hands of the Trinamool goons. But I must remind that how they were brought to power because of the violence of the CPI(M). If they continue to do so they will also be thrown out of power in which BJP will take the lead.”
No amount of violence could stop his party from progressing in Bengal he said asking the “pioneers of human rights” who were confined to Delhi to “come out and see for yourself what is happening in this State.”
State Education Minister Partho Chatterjee however refuted Shah’s charge saying “he should first explain why the Centre has stopped sending funds to Bengal and why political violence were taking place in UP and Gujarat.”
Bengal, Shah said had been transformed into a State of political appeasement where “you have to go to the court to seek permission for the immersion of Durga idols,” adding BJP strived for “politics of performance and not appeasement.” listing the performance of the BJP he said there were at least 50 instances showcasing the BJP’s achievements.