Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not paying attention to people’s issues like price rise and joblessness, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday asked voters who would give them benefits of welfare schemes, if her party, the Trinamool Congress, would not be in power in the state. Campaigning for the second consecutive day in north Bengal for the upcoming panchayat elections in the state, Mamata said, “Today, the BJP is in power. Tomorrow, it may not be. The next Lok Sabha polls will be held in February-March next year. The tenure of this BJP government (at the Centre) is just six months. Sensing its defeat, the BJP is now trying to lobby various groups and communities." “Modi is in (power) today. May not be in (power) tomorrow. Who else is there in Bengal except Trinamool? If there is no Trinamool, who will give Lakshmi Bhandar, who will give Kanyashree, who will give Rupashree, who will give Sasthya Sathi?” the chief minister said at a rally in Malbazar area of Jalpaiguri district. Hitting out at PM Modi, Mamata said: “He (Modi) is going to America and Russia after spending crores of rupees. And the price of tomatoes in the country has increased to Rs 120 per kg. Where has Modi got time to think about our people." She also lashed out at Modi, claiming that he is now trying to woo Muslims. "Suddenly, you are showing pictures of Bohra Muslims, and saying how much I love the minorities. You (Modi) have beaten the minorities to death. You have beaten Dalits to death. There are some Muslims from Gujarat, who I know are now in Kolkata. They (BJP) don't see the poor Muslims, they only see themselves. Here in West Bengal, Muslims are safe,” the chief minister said. A day after accusing the BSF of "intimidating voters" ahead of panchayat polls, the chief minister said that a compensation of Rs 2 lakh and jobs would be given to the kin of those killed allegedly in BSF firing. “This is not a new decision. It has been our norm. They (BSF) must not engage in atrocities. I am not accusing all BSF officials; they guard our borders. But the force must act impartially and independently as BJP may not be in power tomorrow. They must keep doing their job,” she said. With several tea gardens located in Jalpaiguri district, the chief minister alleged that both the Left Front and the BJP did “nothing for tea garden workers”. “Be it the Left government of 34 years in the past, or the BJP government in Delhi for the last 10 years. no one has done anything for the tea workers,” Mamata said and promised to allot a pucca house and give land pattas (documents) to tea workers. Jalpaiguri and neighbouring Alipurduar districts together have 282 tea gardens.
