'First reduce price of LPG then think of turning state into Sonar Bangla'
Siliguri: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi was addressing his first rally at the Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee hit the streets of Siliguri to protest against the spiralling costs of fuel and cooking gas, and asked Modi to "provide free gas".
Addressing a mammoth rally at Hashmi Chowk in Siliguri, on Sunday, after her mega roadshow from Mallaguri to Hashmi Chowk, covering a distance of 3.5 km that saw women including Banerjee, carrying LPG cylinder cut-outs bearing slogans like 'Dekho ami barchi mummy' (watch me grow,) symbolising the price rise, she said: "First reduce the prices of fuel and LPG before thinking of turning the state into 'Sonar Bangla'".
"Remember one thing, if you set the kitchens on fire with soaring prices, the ladies of the households will not forgive you. They will chase you down," she said. She stated that Bengal distributes free rice but to boil the free rice, people have to shell out more than Rs. 900 to buy LPG. "You have to give free gas. No votes otherwise," demanded Banerjee.
"BJP is looting people by regularly hiking LPG prices. Women have been hit the hardest and I'm disgusted with the Centre's lack of intent to cut taxes and lessen their burden. In protest, today I'll be leading an all-women michil at Siliguri. REDUCE LPG PRICES NOW!" Banerjee had tweeted earlier in the day.
Dubbing PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah as syndicators, Banerjee questioned: "How much did you get by selling SAIL, Indian Railways, Air India, Coal India and other PSUs? Given a chance you will sell Red Fort also."
"India knows only one syndicate – Modi, Amit Shah syndicate. There is no other syndicate," stated Mamata Banerjee taking a jibe at the duo.
"I could have easily held an election campaign rally but I preferred a protest rally against the rise in prices of LPG, petrol, diesel and essential commodities. This is a
more important issue to me than the elections. The common man is unhappy. He is not being able to make the two ends meet. I am a commoner too and I will continue to be so," remarked Banerjee.
The TMC Supremo urged the PM to steer clear of hate politics and lies. "At least show respect to your chair. Stop spreading lies and hate," stated Banerjee.
Giving an account of how the Prime Minister failed to keep up to his assurances and had made hollow promises only, Banerjee talked of the welfare schemes that her Government had launched.
Trinamool Congress Chairperson Mamata Banerjee will lead a rally of her party on International Women's Day from College Street to Dorina Crossing on Monday.
