'Do not vote for BJP, they will not allow you to follow your religion'

Gopiballavpur (Jhargram): Giving a call to turn BJP "zero" politically in the upcoming Assembly polls, Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee urged all not to cast a single vote in favour of the saffron party as they will not allow people of Bengal to follow their respective religion.

Addressing the mammoth rally here—sitting on a wheelchair—despite pain in her injured leg that is still in a cast, Banerjee shared her grievances over being repeatedly attacked since the Left regime just for raising voice for people's rights and said that now the BJP has taken over the batton from the Left to silence her by launching attacks on her.

"Earlier CPI(M) used to attack me. Now BJP manhadles me. I have bruises all over my body. I had received injuries on my head. I need to put on a belt on my waist and also underwent eye surgery. Now they have targeted my leg. But I will continue my fight with this injured leg only as mothers and sisters are my actual strength," she said, adding that her party will never give reply to all these attacks with violence. Instead, she will build a peaceful Bengal.

She also accused the BJP for conspiring to immobilise her. "They (BJP) wanted to keep me indoors so that I cannot go out during the elections. They have injured my leg," Banerjee said.

In the same breath, she urged the "actual Left" supporters to cast votes in favour of Trinamool Congress as exercising their rights in favour of CPI(M) would be a wastage to check the growth of BJP.

Recollecting the days of violence in Jangalmahal due to Maoist insurgency and killing of innocent villagers at Netai, she said: "Now peace prevails here where once 300 people were killed. I am visiting the place since 2008 when a widow was attacked, three persons were killed and 15 left injured. Jangalmahal is not new to me. I went to the village with Chhatradhar Mahato. Again, I came here when nine people were killed at Netai. Harmads, who were involved in the incident, have now joined BJP."

"We have carried out massive development in Jangalmahal. But BJP had managed to win here in 2019 Parliamentary elections based on false assurances. Do they have visited the places once after winning? Now they are coming to get votes by giving cash to people ahead of the polls. So turn them politically zero. Despite carrying out so much of work they call us thief. BJP is the biggest "brastachari" (corrupted) party in the country," she said. Condemning the divisive politics of BJP, she said: "Gaddars have now joined BJP and trying to give money to people to buy votes. Please do not give a single vote to them as they will not allow to follow you all your own religion. You have to say Jai Sri Ram instead of Jai Sia Ram."

Giving a boost to her party workers, Trinamool Congress supremo further said that if she can fight despite receiving injuries on one leg, then why the party workers cannot devour more time at the time of the elections.

She urged people to ensure exercising their rights to cast their own votes as BJP would bring in "goondas from outside" by train to loot votes in Bengal.