PM Modi kickstarts BJP poll campaign in Bengal, goes after Opposition

THAKURGANARA: Kickstarting Bharatiya Janata Party's poll campaign from Thakurnagar in West Bengal on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched into a no-holds-barred attack against the Opposition.

Accusing state Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee of resorting to “violence”, the Prime Minister said, “"Look at the scene (crowd). I can now understand why Didi resorted to violence. Those who advertise to be democratic, kill innocent people.”

Amazing response at the rally in Thakurnagar. Watch. https://t.co/M0EdKZDD0B — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 2, 2019

The Prime Minister also trained his guns at Congress party while addressing the massive gathering at the rally.

“In the name of loan waiver, farmers of the country have been duped by all the political parties,” said the PM.

“Leaders haven't focused on the development of rural areas. New India cannot function in this way. The Central government is making every effort for the past 4.5 years for the development of farmers and agricultural laborers.

“There will be no syndicate tax, no obstacles. The people will directly receive the Rs. 6,000 meant for them under the new budget.The farmers can use this money to meet the expenditures needed for agriculture,” he added while referring to Friday's Interim Budget.

My government took honest steps to improve condition of farmers and working class, said Modi.

Later, the Prime Minister had to cut short his speech after 14 minutes at the Thakurnagar rally amid stampede-like situation, reported news agency PTI.

The Prime Minister will address another rally at the industrial town of Durgapur later in the day.

The venues of both the rallies have political significance. Thakurnagar, which is one of the venues, is the hub of the sizeable Matua community, who originally hail from erstwhile East Pakistan and began migrating to West Bengal in the beginning of the 1950s mostly due to religious persecution. The rally venue is near the house of Matua matriarch Binapani Debi.

Matuas with an estimated population of 30 lakh in West Bengal have influence in at least five Lok Sabha seats in North and South 24 Parganas districts.