PM Modi slams Trinamool Congress at Haldia rally, calls Bengal govt ‘nirmam’

Narendra Modi on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the ruling Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal, calling it a “nirmam sarkaar (cruel government)” and stating that a “storm of poribortan (change)” was sweeping the state ahead of polls

PM Modi, who is on his second visit to the state after the election dates were announced, made these remarks while addressing a rally in Haldia in Purba Medinipur district

Referring to past elections, Modi said that five years ago Nandigram had shown the path of change when BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari defeated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee

He said that the same change would be seen in Bhabanipur, the constituency where Banerjee and Adhikari are contesting, as well as across West Bengal

Modi described the election as a decisive moment for restoring the pride of Bengal and said removing the “nirmam” government is essential for building a Viksit Bengal

Highlighting development concerns, Modi said that while India was progressing rapidly, the TMC government is pushing West Bengal backward, citing the decline of industrial activity in Haldia and migration of youth for employment

Modi said that coordination between the Centre and the state was necessary for development and emphasised the need for a BJP “double-engine” government to implement central schemes effectively

He alleged that under the TMC government, infiltrators have prospered and rioters and criminals have flourished, adding that the party’s politics is based on fear

Addressing issues of governance and safety, Modi said that crimes against women had increased under the TMC rule and assured that accountability would be ensured and pending cases would be acted upon under BJP governance

The 294-member West Bengal Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with the counting of votes set for May 4