Mamata slams use of armoured vehicles for polls in West Bengal
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday expressed surprise over the deployment of CRPF armoured vehicles for maintaining law and order during the Assembly polls, alleging that the BJP-led Centre has engaged all wings of the Government to work in its favour.
Addressing a TMC rally in North 24 Parganas district, she claimed that central forces such as the CRPF, ITBP, CISF and BSF, along with other central entities including the railways, have been deployed for the elections.
“Elections are a festival of democracy, not for killing anyone,” the TMC chief said, urging supporters to lodge FIRs if they face any atrocities.
“Around two lakh central force personnel have been brought into Bengal for the elections. This is unprecedented. Are they trying to intimidate me by deploying so many forces?” she asked.
Challenging the BJP, Banerjee said, “I want to see who has more power — the armoured vehicles or the people,” asserting that she was not afraid of the party.
Addressing another rally at Haripal in Hooghly district, the TMC chief asked the Narendra Modi Government to send the armoured vehicles to Manipur instead of West Bengal.
“There has been unrest in Manipur for the last three years,” she said, asking Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to hold a public meeting in the northeastern State.
“Go and see the difference, in Bengal people of all faiths live together in peace,” she said. Claiming that the BJP has deployed security forces from across the country for the Assembly elections, Banerjee said, “Terrorists come and kill Indians in Pahalgam, but they (the BJP Government) cannot act against Pakistan; however, for the Bengal polls, Modi brings in all forces.”
April 22 marked the first anniversary of the dastardly attack by Pakistan-based Laskar-e-Taiba at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir that left 26 people, mostly tourists, dead and triggered a four-day military conflict with Pakistan after Indian armed forces retaliated with Operation Sindoor targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan-controlled territories.
Referring to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent remarks warning of strict action against troublemakers, she said such statements should only be made after winning the polls.
“There is no chance of your victory,” she added.
The chief minister alleged that State police were acting in favour of the BJP.
“Our police have become their associates; they no longer recognise me now, they know the BJP,” she said, while urging IAS, IPS and other officials to work impartially.
Citing a recent clash between TMC and BJP workers at Ekbalpore in Kolkata, she accused the police of targeting her party’s workers and questioned why BJP candidate for Kolkata Port Rakesh Singh had not been arrested.
Claiming that a list of 1,000 TMC leaders and workers had been prepared for arrest ahead of polling, Banerjee warned, “If one TMC worker is arrested, thousands of my mothers and sisters will come out.”
Urging people not to vote for the BJP, she alleged that large-scale deletions from voter lists could lead to deportations if the party comes to power.
“If 90 lakh names can be deleted from the voter list in the SIR exercise, then half of the people of Bengal will be deported by way of NRC if they (BJP) come to power,” she said.
She asked everyone enrolled for Haj pilgrimage from the State to cast their votes before undertaking the journey to Mecca.
“I assure you that our Haj Committee will take care of your pilgrimage,” she said.
Banerjee accused the BJP of mobilising migrant workers to influence voting and alleged that the Election Commission of India (ECI) was intimidating people by imposing restrictions such as curbs on motorbike movement ahead of polling.
Claiming that the BJP was using extensive resources for campaigning, she said, “They have come to Bengal with 100 aircraft and several hundred helicopters, but they will not be seen after the polls are over.”
Seeking to address the disquiet among potato farmers over a price slump following a bumper crop, the chief minister asked them to sell their produce in other states so they can fetch a good price.
The BJP has accused the Mamata Banerjee Government of causing immense loss to potato farmers by imposing restrictions on selling their produce in other States.
Claiming that the railways is not giving rakes for transporting potatoes to other States, Banerjee asked the farmers to use roadways for the purpose.
“They provide trains for bringing outsiders to Bengal but not rakes for transporting our potato produce,” Banerjee, who had earlier served as the railway minister for two tenures, said.
She claimed that her Government has provisions for crop insurance schemes for farmers, including potato growers.
