You will be political refugee for opposing CAA, insulting workers by naming Shramik trains as Corona Express: Amit Shah to Mamata Banerjee

By Pragya Kaushika
New Delhi [India], June 9 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while addressing Jan Samvad virtual rally for Bharatiya Janata Party workers in West Bengal, sounded the poll bugle as he attacked the Mamata Banerjee government for protesting against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) that gives the rights of citizenship to persecuted minorities coming from India's neighbouring countries.
Shah said CAA was equally important as the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A.
"I want to tell Bengal that CAA is an equally historical decision for persecuted minorities and due to the politics of appeasement by prior governments. I saw Mamata's face that day. She was fuming and she was red-faced. She was so angry that she forgot civility. I want to know what wrong they (refugees) have done to her," Shah said.
"Jab matpetiya khulengi to Bengal ki janata aapko rajnaitik sharanarthi bannane wali hai. CAA ka virodh mehenga padega. (When ballot boxes open, Bengal will make you a political refugee. You will pay dearly for protesting against CAA)," said Shah while challenging the Bengal Chief Minister.
The Union Home Minister, while addressing the virtual rally, said that corona will not stop BJP's campaign as national President JP Nadda has found a way of virtual rallies for the party to continue with its outreach programme.
He repeatedly urged West Bengal Chief Minister to send the list for availing Prime Minister Samman Nidhi scheme for farmers and accused the state government of stalling this benefit from reaching farmers in the state.
Shah also lamented that the Ayushman Bharat scheme was not being implemented by the TMC government in West Bengal.
"Bengal did not get the benefit of this scheme because of the Mamata government. Do people of Bengal not have the right to get their old members treated? We want to transfer money to farmers we don't get a list of beneficiaries. There is a limit to politics and you accuse us of politics. Even Kejriwal accepted Ayushman Bharat.
We have so many platforms to fight so I urge Didi to leave people alone," Shah stated while attacking Banerjee.
Taking a dig at the Chief Minister on asking the Centre to come and administer Bengal if the Central government believes that the state isn't doing enough.
"People will fulfil this wish of Mamata Didi very soon," said Shah.
On the issue of special trains being run for migrants, Shah trained his guns on the West Bengal government for naming Shramik express as Corona Express. He mentioned that despite opposition from state, the Centre released a fund of Rs 11,000 crore for the state to fight the pandemic.
"You have insulted Bengal labourers who were coming to the state to meet their family amid corona by naming trains as Corona Express. This express will take you out of state. It will become your exit," said Shah.
Shah targeted West Bengal government over continued political violence in the state.
"Can political violence become a means of politics. You can stop our helicopters and road journeys or rallies. Now we are speaking to people through a virtual rally. Can you stop the change? We are not the people who are afraid of violence. We will bloom more while you continue to spread violence," added Shah while commenting that people are praising communists looking at the corruption and bad governance of TMC government.
Shah also presented details of various Central schemes being implemented for the welfare of the masses.
"The Modi government has completed one year of its second term. We opened bank accounts for 31 crore people under the Jan Dhan Yojana. Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued Direct benefit transfer (DBT) to these account holders," he said.
Shah while urging Bengal to use Swadeshi and local product said BJP did not go to Bengal to kick-start movement but to reawaken the 'Sonar Bangla' dream.
"The BJP may have got 303 seats in the general elections in 2019 but for me, the most important seats out of these are the 18 seats that we got in West Bengal," Shah said pointing to party's successes in the state in the last Lok Sabha elections.
"BJP is a democratic party and we believe in spreading the party's ideology in a democratic way. We are not amongst those who keep complaining even after coming to power," he added.
Also present during the virtual rally at the party's headquarters were Union Ministers Babul Supriyo and Debasree Chaudhuri, along with Bengal co-in charge Arvind Menon and Director of Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation Anirban Ganguly.
West Bengal is expected to go to Assembly polls in 2021.