Apparently sensing alienation in her minority vote base, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday returned to her old ways of showering endowments on Muslim clerics before giving out a clarion call to oust Prime Minister Narendra Modi from power.
Speaking at a meeting of the Muslim clerics, Mamata said that though her Government was facing financial crisis due to non-clearance of central dues to the tune of Rs 1.15 lakh crore she had decided to provide a monthly increment on the stipends paid to the Muezzims and Imams.
“They (Centre) have stopped all the grants and have not been paying out legitimate Rs 1.15 lakh crore … still we have decided to give an increment of Rs 500 to the Muezzims and Imams … and also along with this a matching increment will be given to the (Hindu) priests,” Mamata said.
Digging out the old bogey of National Citizenship Register and Citizenship Amendment Act, Banerjee said “like she had prevented NRC and CAA she would also prevent Uniform Civil Code at any cost.”
She said, “we have unleashed a whole lot of projects for the Muslim youth by including them in the OBC category … now we are increasing the stipends paid to the Imams and Muezzims … besides we are also declaring a business loan of Rs 5 lakh for the youth of the minority community.” Saying that Modi’s rule would not last beyond 2024 general elections, the Chief Minister said “I have only one hunger … and that hunger is to oust Narendra Modi from power,” giving out a “Modi Hatao Desh Bachao (oust Modi to save India)” call.
Citing examples of violence in many parts of the country including Haryana and Manipur Banerjee said “attempts are being made to impose one religion, one faith, one language and one caste in India … but till I am there I will not allow this to happen … I will always be by your side like your sister, your daughter and your mother.”
Asking the Muslim clerics to prevent splitting of votes at a time when the BJP was engineering riots to polarize the electorate Banerjee said, “there is a conscious attempt to help the BJP by splitting the minority votes in order to help Modi … so I ask you not to let that happen and prevent division of votes.”