The Aryavarth Express
Agency (West Bengal): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop making “false claims” about atrocities against women in the state, which she said undermine their self-respect and dignity. Speaking at an election rally in Bongaon, the TMC leader stressed that West Bengal is not comparable to BJP-ruled states and accused Modi of conspiring against the state’s women.
“Don’t play with the self-respect of women, don’t hatch conspiracy by playing with the dignity of our mothers and sisters,” Banerjee declared.
Modi had alleged in his public meetings that the TMC was covering up past misconduct in Sandeshkhali, where its leaders were accused of sexual assault and land grab. However, a recent video purportedly shows a BJP leader from Sandeshkhali admitting that the protests by women were staged under the direction of Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. Another video shows women claiming they were coerced by BJP leaders into signing blank papers and filing false rape complaints. The authenticity of these videos has not been verified by PTI.
“Don’t touch our women, this is not your Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh. Women in Bengal live with respect and dignity,” Banerjee asserted, emphasizing the distinctiveness of Bengal’s societal values.
The TMC also accused the BJP of using central forces to intimidate TMC workers in border districts like North 24 Parganas to prevent them from opposing the BJP. Banerjee criticized Modi’s announcement of implementing the CAA in Bengal, questioning the need for residents to reapply for citizenship and produce old documents to prove their migration from Bangladesh. She wondered why union minister Shantanu Thakur had not applied for CAA if it was so necessary.
“If the BJP wants to enforce NRC and Uniform Civil Code here, I will oppose that tooth and nail till my last breath. You will have NRC on my dead body,” she proclaimed.
Banerjee expressed confidence in the INDIA bloc, stating that after the third phase of polling, they had secured 315 seats and the BJP would not surpass 200. She voiced her support for the INDIA bloc coming to power, responding to crowd chants suggesting she should be the next PM.
“In Bengal, we are fighting BJP alone as Congress and the Left are helping the BJP,” she stated.
Labeling Modi as the most autocratic and vindictive PM she had ever seen, Banerjee accused him of wanting to imprison all opposition leaders. She also claimed that the BJP was planning to halt the state’s financial assistance scheme for women, ‘Lakshmir Bhandar,’ threatening to stop it after three months.
“If anyone dares such an attempt, you all know what to do,” she warned.
Banerjee reported that two of her party leaders had been threatened by the BJP candidate in the Asansol Lok Sabha seat for campaigning against him. She also mentioned allegations of BJP offering cash to voters, stating that while most had rejected the bribes, they were monitoring any secret liaisons.
Banerjee accused the BJP of attempting to change the Constitution and destroy India’s pluralistic spirit by pitting Muslims against SCs, STs, and OBCs with false narratives. She urged the BJP to stop such divisive tactics and affirmed that such attempts would not succeed in Bengal.
