My last life or next birth in Bengal, says Narendra Modi at Lok Sabha election rally

Prime Minister Narendra Modi being presented a crown during a Lok Sabha elections rally in Malda on Friday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal at a Lok Sabha election rally on Friday while reiterating his fondness for the people of the state.

Pointing to the turnout at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rally in Malda, Modi said: “Your love makes me think that I was born in Bengal in my last life or my next birth will be in Bengal.”

“You people have come in such large numbers that the ground has become smaller. I apologise for the inconvenience caused to you. I will return your love through development,” Modi said, the Bangla version of Hindustantimes.com reported.

PM blasts TMC over job scam  in West Bengal

The Prime minister also lambasted the TMC over the cancellation of around 26,000 jobs following a high court order, asserting that the youth of West Bengal have suffered due to the “cut-and-commission” culture of the party, which is now “synonymous with scams”.

“The TMC indulges in scams for which the people of the state have to suffer. The party has been playing with the future of the youth of Bengal,” he said, according to a Press Trust of India report.

Narendra emphasised how the TMC’s involvement in scams has not only jeopardised the future of Bengal’s youth, but has also adversely affected thousands of families.

“The teacher recruitment scam snatched the livelihood of around 26,000 families. The youth who took loans to pay bribes to the TMC leaders are now burdened by this situation too. The Centre is working towards generating jobs for the youth of the country,” he said.

Earlier this week, the Calcutta High Court declared the recruitment process of the State Level Selection Test-2016 (SLST) in West Bengal government-sponsored and aided schools as “null and void,” ordering the cancellation of all appointments made through it.

“Under TMC rule, only one thing exists – scams totalling thousands of crores. The culprit is TMC, but the entire state is forced to pay for its deception and scams,” he said.

Addressing the women electorate, particularly in the minority-dominated district of Malda, Modi accused the TMC of betraying Muslim sisters by opposing the abolition of triple talaq.

Referring to recent incidents in Sandeshkhali, where allegations of sexual abuse against TMC leaders surfaced, Modi criticised the state government for its alleged apathy towards the victims.

Hitting out at the Congress and the TMC for allegedly spreading canards about CAA, Modi said the Citizenship (Amendment) Act “is about granting citizenship and not snatching it.”

“The Congress and the TMC to appease their vote-bank politics are opposing the CAA. Why are they opposing Hindu, Sikh, and Buddhist refugees, who were forced to leave their land due to religious persecution, from getting citizenship? The CAA is about granting citizenship and not snatching it,” he said.

PM slams India alliance on inheritance tax 

Seizing on Congress leader Sam Pitroda’s remarks amid the row over an inheritance tax for wealth redistribution, Modi said, “The Congress and the INDI alliance are planning to take the wealth that you have accumulated by working hard and enduring hardships. Even mangalsutra of the poor and Dalit woman will not be spared.”

Modi, while questioning the TMC’s stand on the issue, said both the parties have now engaged in competition over appeasement politics.

The PM said the “biggest magnet” to keep TMC and Congress together is appeasement.

Criticising the TMC’s resistance to central projects in Bengal, Modi alleged the funds sent by the Centre are being looted by the TMC leaders.

“The money that I send from the Centre to the Bengal government for its development is siphoned off by TMC leaders, ministers, and tolabaz (extortionists),” he said.

Narendra Modi expressed confidence in the electorate, harbouring optimism for favourable outcomes for the BJP  in both phases of the Lok Sabha elections.

Modi said, “I am sure that the parties like Congress and TMC, which got decimated in the first phase of elections, will get demolished in the second phase too.”

(Press Trust of India contributed to this report)

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