'Nation can be saved only if Modi is removed from Delhi'

Canning, Sonarpur (South 24-parganas): Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Sunday that the country could only be saved if Prime Minister Narendra Modi is removed from Delhi.

She called Modi "a riot manager" while talking about the Gujarat riots that took place in 2002 and expressed her disappointment in him as a Prime Minister. Banerjee addressed four rallies in Canning, Basanti, Baruipur and Sonarpur on Sunday afternoon.

"Modi is a riot manager. After the Gujarat riot that took place in 2002 Atalji had asked him to follow Raj Dharma. He is vindictive and arrogant. It is a tragedy that we have a Prime Minister like him," she said.

Banerjee said in the past five years, Modi did nothing for the development of the country and created tension among various religious communities.

Banerjee further said that the BJP had been using the Central Force to campaign for the party. "I have respect for the Central Force but the jawans are asking people to vote for Modi. What is going on? One of our supporters was injured by Central Force firing," she said.

The Chief Minister said Modi is spreading canard against Bengal every day. "He says in every election rally that I don't allow Durga Pujas in Bengal. More than one lakh Durga Pujas are organised in Bengal and the number of Saraswati Pujas should be more than one crore. He is repeating the same old lies. He does no homework," she said.

Banerjee said the BJP has developed hatred for Bengal because this was the first state voices have been raised against Modi government. "During a meeting on July 21, 2018, I had said in 2019 the BJP will be finished and from the dais of the meeting I had said that a meeting would be held on January 19, 2019, which would be attended by leaders of 23 parties. The BJP is scared of Bengal and that is why they are criticising us," she said.

Banerjee said from time immemorial people of different religions are living peacefully in Bengal. "The Hindus take part in Iftar and many Muslims organise Durga puja in Bengal. The Sikhs, Christians, Budhists, and Jains follow their religions without problems. This is our culture and tradition. But, the BJP is trying to destabilise our society by trying to control every one. They can't decide which God we should worship and what food we should eat. In the name of religion they incite one community against the other," she said.

Banerjee said Modi did not deposit Rs 15 lakh in the bank accounts of people that he had promised at the time of 2014 Lok Sabha election. Ten crore people are jobless and three crore people have lost jobs due to note ban. About 12,000 farmers committed suicide in the past five years. "He does not say a word about the poor development scenario in the country in the past five years and come to Bengal to find faults in the government here. Modi Babu you cannot dream of the projects that have been implemented in the past seven years in Bengal."

Banerjee urged people to vote for party nominees — Pratima Mondol in Joynagar and Mimi Chakraborty in Jadavpur — where elections will be held on May 19.