Democracy will perish if BJP is voted back to power: CM

Shamshi, Pakuahat, Kaliachowk (Malda North/South): Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee said there will be no democracy in India if the fascist BJP government under Narendra Modi gets voted back to power.

"BJP will not come back but if they are voted back to power then the fascist government under Modi will bid goodbye to democracy in India," she said. Banerjee addressed three rallies at Shamshi, Pakuahat and Kaliachowk in North and South Malda, where elections will be held on April 23.

Malda and Murshidabad are two districts where Trinamool Congress did not have any MP until recently. Both the MPs in Malda were from Congress, until Mausam Benazir Noor joined Trinamool Congress.

AHA Khan Chowdhury had won the Malda South seat by 1.64 lakh votes, while Mausam had won the Malda North seat by over 65,000 votes.

Both the ministers in Mamata Banerjee's cabinet, Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury and Sabitri Mitra, had lost in the 2016 Assembly election. But the Trinamool supremo is expecting a change in the Congress stronghold this time.

Recalling her long association with Congress, Banerjee said: "As a Congress worker I felt that it was not possible to oust CPI(M) from Bengal as Congress made compromises with the party. Trinamool Congress was set up in 1998 and because of Trinamool, CPI(M) was ousted from Bengal. Trinamool does not make any compromise with any party," she said, adding: "I asked Mausam to join Trinamool because she is a genuine worker. She will work for the people."

Criticising Congress, Banerjee said the party "Does not work and always refers to the work which had been carried out by ABA Ghani Khan Chowdhury many decades ago," she pointed out.

Coming down heavily on BJP, she said: "BJP is a fascist government that survives on lies. Their leaders come from Delhi and speak lies to create confusion among the people. The statistics they put forward are concocted and full of lies."

Banerjee said in the past five years, the condition of common people has turned from bad to worse under the BJP government. "From banning of high value notes to hasty implementation of GST, the economic condition of India has been badly hit. Thousands of people have lost their jobs and the farmers are committing suicide. Bengal is the only state where the premium of crop insurance is paid by the state government. We take care of the farmers and working class," she said.

Banerjee maintained that the attitude of the parents towards their daughters has changed because of the Kanyashree scheme. Under the scheme, girls can carry on with higher education with the help of state government scholarship. "Kanyashree has not only bagged a prestigious award from the United Nations, but has also changed the attitude of parents towards their daughters. Daughters are no longer their burdens," she said.

She said after Bangladesh stopped import of mangoes from Malda, Bengal government opened business with Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries, where mangoes are being exported now. There will be an export centre in malda soon along with a new airport, she maintained.

She urged the voters to cast their votes in favour of Mausam in North Malda and Moazzem Hossain in Malda South. "Do not waste your vote by casting it in favour of Congress or CPI(M). If you vote in favour of Congress or CPI(M), you will actually strengthen the hand of BJP. Vote for Mausam and Hossain saab, who will work for the development of Malda," the Trinamool supremo said.