PM Modi's remarks on Bengali 'ashmita' pack of lies: TMC

Kolkata: Dubbing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statements during a rally in West Bengal's Durgapur on Friday as a "pack of lies," the Trinamool Congress (TMC) launched a scathing attack on the BJP, accusing it of harassing Bengali-speaking migrant labourers in BJP-ruled states while falsely claiming to champion Bengali 'ashmita' (pride).

In a joint press conference at the party headquarters here, senior minister Chandrima Bhattacharya and party state general secretary Kunal Ghosh claimed that the "anti-Bengal" BJP government at the Centre has withheld Rs 1.7 lakh-crore in dues to the state under schemes such as MGNREGA and PM Awas Yojana, purely for political reasons.

"They have deprived Bengal of its rightful dues just because the people of this state voted the TMC to power. And now Modi talks about an invisible Rs 5,000 crore grant, which will never be realised," Bhattacharya said.

"Bengalis, who are Indian citizens, are still being branded as Rohingyas and Bangladeshis in BJP-ruled states. While their governments harass and detain our migrant labourers, Modi now talks about Bengali 'ashmita' only because he realises the deep hurt and anguish felt by the average Bengali," Ghosh said.

"Modi has resorted to falsehoods because he is afraid of losing the support of the average Bengali. In Gujarat, a sweet shop owner put up a signboard in his will in Bangla to attract customers, but was forced to clarify that he is not a Bengali. This is what his Viksit Bangla has come to — nothing but a travesty. In states ruled by the BJP, Bengali-speaking Indians are being branded as Rohingyas," he added.

Ghosh also cited several instances of alleged mistreatment of Bengali-speaking citizens across BJP-ruled states.

"In fact, one of his chief ministers openly threatened to send Bengali-speaking people to detention camps just for mentioning Bengali as their language in official forms. How does Modi plan to explain this to the people of Bengal?" Bhattacharya said.

About the PM's allegations that women in Bengal are not safe as manifested in the R G Kar incident and alleged gang-rape of a law student on a state-run law college campus, Ghosh said, "while every single incident has to be condemned, in Bengal the police and state investigating agencies bring to book every tormentor and abuser of woman and prosecute them." "In Gujarat, the rapists of Bilkis Bano are released with fanfare by BJP. They have to face the gallows following the directive of he judiciary. In north India, a nurse is stabbed to death at her workplace, and the perpetrator walks away brazenly. You (Modi) pick up one or two incidents here which should not have taken place, but our government promptly take action. But your (BJP''s) double engine governments are found to be wanting in taking prompt, punitive action against violators of women," Ghosh said.

Bhattacharya said Modi has no right to talk on the issues of women's safety "unless he puts his own house (BJP governments at Centre and states) in order.

Turning to Modi's claims that the TMC government has failed to stop the flow of youths migrating from Bengal for employment opportunities, Bhattacharya said, "If you look at records, Bengal is among the top three states creating investment opportunities. He must check out the facts first." Ghosh added by targeting skilled Bengali-speaking migrant labourers working in other states, "BJP is actually stopping right to movement and right to speech." "Modi has distorted the truth in a motivated manner to malign the state and its people. He has blamed TMC for infiltration from across the border, but "If that is the situation, why doesn't he show cause his Home minister Amit Shah? Shah's department is responsible for ensuring border security," Ghosh added.

Claiming Modi had promised two crore jobs in a year when the BJP contested the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Bhattacharya said, "In next 11 years the total number of employed would have gone up to 22 crore. But have even 22 lakh people got jobs in BJP's tenure?".

Ghosh also took a jibe at Modi chanting 'Joy Maa Durga' in his speech "never uttering Jai Shri Ram for once in his speech." "We have great respect for Bhagwan Ram. But the BJP used Jai Shree Ram for political reasons. Now, apparently to win over Bengalis, Modi has shifted to Jai Maa Durga, though he and his party have little idea about the scale and devotion associated with Durga Puja celebrations in the state. Modi and BJP are using religion only for political reasons, which will not work," he said.

About Modi's comments on the Murshidabad riots, Ghosh said, "The state administration took prompt action to restore normalcy and amity among people in parts of the district. However, the BJP wanted to harp on the politics of division and polarisation to sow the seeds of rift. Their gameplan is for everyone to see." Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted that the BJP is the only party that truly respects and protects Bengali 'ashmita' (pride), and lashed out at the ruling TMC for allegedly enabling infiltration, stoking violence, and driving Bengal's youths out of their home state.

In a blistering attack on the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC, Modi said the BJP government at the Centre had conferred classical language status to Bangla, a recognition that parties like the Congress, the Left, and the TMC "ignored" despite running the governments in Delhi together for years.