TMC stands for 'Terror, Mafia, Corruption'; people to soon bid adieu to 'jungle raj' in Bengal: Nadda

Launching a frontal attack on the Mamata Banerjee-led regime in Bengal, BJP national president J P Nadda on Sunday said that the time has come to bid farewell to the jungle raj of the TMC, which stands for 'Terror, Mafia, Corruption'.

Claiming that the state has been brought to a "standstill" under the TMC rule, with no development in sight, Nadda, who was in Bengal on a two-day visit, said that the BJP would do what it takes to oust the TMC from power.

Referring to recent allegations of massive irregularities in implementing the PM Awas Yojana (PMAY) in West Bengal, Nadda said houses meant for the poor were looted by TMC leaders.

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"During audit, it was found that people who have two-three storey buildings received houses under the scheme. This is the situation in West Bengal," he said.

Bengal's political cauldron has been on the boil for a while over allegations and counter allegations of corruption in the implementation of the central housing scheme after it was reported that applications by several people, owning multi-storey homes, have received approval in some districts.

Nadda also said that West Bengal, despite having a woman chief minister, "tops the chart when it came to crime against women”.

"The TMC stands for 'Terror and Tolabaji', 'Mafia and Money laundering' and 'Corruption'. Be it school recruitment or any other hiring, jobs are up for sale," the BJP chief stated.

Nadda, during the day, addressed back-to-back rallies in Purbasthali area of Purba Bardhaman and Ramnagar area in Purba Medinipur, as part of the BJP's mass outreach drive ahead of the crucial panchayat polls scheduled in May.

Lauding party cadres for "putting up a brave fight against the terror tactics" of the TMC, Nadda said the mass gatherings at his rallies reflect that people are "yearning for a change".

"It is time to bid adieu to the jungle raj of Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee has to be sent on a long leave. We have to remove this party from power democratically," he said.

Mocking the feisty TMC boss, he said "despite her name being Mamata (compassion), she lacks empathy".

Nadda also slammed the TMC government for being "neck-deep in corruption".

Rebuffing the allegations of non-disbursal of funds against the Centre, and said, "Modi ji sends money, and as soon as it reaches here, it is siphoned off, and it turns into a scam. Modi's government is honest, while the state government is corrupt."

Speaking about the party's defeat in the 2021 assembly polls, notwithstanding a high-octane campaign launched by the BJP top brass, he said a single failure is not the end of the road.

"Yes, we couldn't win the assembly polls, but that doesn't mean everything is finished. We will fight again to end the misrule of the TMC in West Bengal," he said.

The TMC steamrolled its opponents to grab power for the third consecutive term in Bengal in 2021, winning 213 assembly seats, while the BJP had bagged 77 seats.

Lauding the Narendra Modi government for maintaining the momentum of India's economic growth, Nadda said, "Regardless of the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, India has overtaken a nation (the UK) that ruled us for about two centuries. India now has become the fifth largest economy in the world."

Reacting to Nadda's comment, the TMC dubbed him a "migratory" leader with no connection with the people of West Bengal.

"BJP leaders are like migratory birds, which come to Bengal ahead of polls and leave once defeated. We had seen how the BJP's central leaders had camped in the state before the 2021 assembly polls and the result that followed.

"Nadda Ji has failed to install BJP government even in his own state Himachal Pradesh last year," TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said.