'Chowkidar' has come to loot people: Abhishek

Bankura: Coming down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, All India Trinamool Youth Congress president Abhishek Banerjee said Modi has come to loot people in the guise of a 'chowkidar'.

Addressing a rally here on Monday afternoon, he said: "We have seen honest chowkidars who used to protect people but now, Modi has actually come to loot people in the guise of one."

Banerjee said in the name of "achhe din", Modi has ruined the economic condition of the country. "Thousands of people have lost their jobs due to note ban, while the GST has affected small and medium traders and businessmen badly. Till date, the people do not know under whose instruction the note ban was implemented or why GST was introduced without any kind of preparation."

He said before coming to power in 2014, Modi had announced that 2 crore youths would get jobs every year. But the actual picture is grim with mounting unemployment. "In the past five years, Modi has not done anything for the country except talk big," he added.

Abhishek went on to criticise BJP for trying to divide society in the name of religion. "BJP needs religion to win election. Religion is personal. But in social life, our religion is working for the people. Religion teaches us to respect the views of others," he said.

Urging people not to vote for BJP, as 'neither their workers nor their leaders will be seen after the election is over', he said: "Have you seen them in the past five years? They come before the election like seasonal birds and go once the election ends."

Taking a dig at the CPI(M), Abhishek said the party has fielded Amiyo Patra in Bankura, where he was infamous for his notoriety. "CPI(M) had unleashed a 'Reign of Terror' in Bengal during its 34-year-rule. The people of Bankura had been terrorised. The party is again trying to foment trouble here," he maintained. He urged people to vote for the Trinamool Congress to oust BJP from the Centre and said: "Oust BJP from the Centre to set up a stable, secular government that will expedite development."