BJP will be reduced to under 50 seats in Assembly polls: Abhishek Banerjee

Responding to BJP’s poll promise of providing Rs 3,000 to women if elected in Bengal, Banerjee said, “Let them first provide at least Rs 1,500 in any of the BJP-ruled states. Didi’s government is already giving Laxmi Bhandar support to 2.2 crore women in Bengal.”

Additionally, the TMC MP also announced that his outreach programme “Sebaashray” would be relaunched this year.

“I challenge the 500+ MPs across parties to replicate our 75-day Sebaashray model. We helped over 12 lakh people. No one left empty-handed,” Abhishek claimed.

Highlighting his win with a record margin in the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, during the Lok Sabha elections, 2024, Abhishek said,“BJP has moved court over my win. Instead, they should spend the next four years finding a strong candidate. I won by 7.1 lakh votes, and we’ll push the margin beyond 8 lakh next time.”

He also alleged that he received two income tax notices after facilitating old age pensions for 76,000 people in his constituency.

“BJP wants to stop this pension because I’m helping the poor. But we won’t stop. By Durga Puja, we’ll send letters to all 76,000 beneficiaries, exposing how BJP wants to take away what is rightfully theirs and divert it to Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh,” he said.

While he thanked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for facilitating the construction of Jagannath temple in Digha, Abhishek said, “BJP claims to be the protector of Hindus, yet its leaders like Sukanta and Suvendu ridicule Jagannath prabhu.”

Abhishek Banerjee also vowed to continue highlighting what he called the “real face of the Bangla Birodhi BJP” to every household in his constituency.

He raised questions over the Pahalgam terror attack, in Jammu and Kashmir in April, slamming the Centre for not responding.

“For us, the country comes first. That is the difference between us and the BJP. I had asked how four terrorists crossed into India and killed 26 people. Till date, the man who called himself chowkidar has not responded. Where are those terrorists now? The way they killed 26 Indians, they should be given a similar reply,” he said.

The Diamond Harbour MP accused the BJP of branding all critics as “anti-national” and said, “When we questioned Pulwama, they called us anti-national. When Sikh people wear turbans, they’re labelled Khalistani. But I have visited abroad to present India’s perspective. Who is anti-national now?”

Referring to the RG Kar rape and murder case, Banerjee said, “During the RG Kar case, BJP demanded the CM’s resignation and that of the then Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal. Now, after the Pahalgam killings, why aren’t they asking for Amit Shah’s resignation? Why not the IB chief’s?”

Abhishek also criticised the BJP for what he called opportunistic politics.  “While an Indian delegation was abroad, raising the PoK issue, the Prime Minister came to Bengal to indulge in petty politics. That is the BJP’s real face, their leaders are anti-Bengal.”

As he lashed out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on infiltration, Abhishek said, “Suvendu claims Bangladesh is better than Bengal. Shah accuses Didi of sheltering infiltrators. But have they forgotten that in Bangladesh, Hindus and saints are being tortured? Is this what they are endorsing?”