'Fascist forces will lose, this bypoll is a protest against BJP's anti-people policy'

Asansol: Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general-secretary urged the people to vote for party's nominee Shatrughan Singha in the forthcoming by-election to drive out the 'garbage called BJP' from Asansol. "We need to defeat fascist forces, and the people of Asansol will defeat those who spread hatred and communal disharmony," he said.

He took part in a roadshow to campaign for Sinha that started from The Grand, a local hotel, and ended at Girja More covering a distance of 5 km on Saturday afternoon.

The entire stretch was converted into a sea of people. Banerjee, along with Sinha and his wife Poonam, party's MP Kalyan Banerjee and state Law minister Malay Ghatak waved at the people who stood on either side of the road braving the scorching heat.

Addressing the huge gathering, he said: "BJP usually parachutes leaders in Bengal from outside the state. These leaders do not know anything about the culture of Bengal and the peaceful manner in which people reside here."

He added: "The by-election is not merely to ensure victory of Trinamool candidate, but to protest against the anti-people policy of the BJP government."

He added that the price fuel, essential commodities, medicine were going up daily and BJP was silent on the issue. "When PM Modi came to power in 2014, the price of petrol was Rs 74 per litre. Today, it has gone up to Rs 116 per litre. From Rs 60 a litre for Diesel, the price has now gone up to Rs 100 per litre. Cooking Gas in 2014 was Rs 400, it has gone up to Rs 900. Kerosene Oil was Rs 30 a litre in 2014, the price now is Rs 72 per litre," he said, adding: "BJP leaders are expert in making false promises. In the name of 'Acche din', the condition of the people has turned from bad to worse. You will have to ensure that the deposit of the BJP candidate is forfeited."

He said this is for the first time when the TMC candidate is going to win from Asansol. "Since the inception of Trinamool, the seat had been won by the CPI(M) and BJP candidates. BJP had failed to keep the promises and so its MP Babul Supriyo left the party and joined Trinamool Congress. BJP does not how to respect the sentiments of the people of Bengal," he remarked.

Slamming the BJP, Banerjee said: "Unable to digest defeat in 2021 Assembly election the party is spreading canard against the Bengal government. In 2021 Assembly election, BJP used to say this time the party would get more than 200 seat. However, when the results were out the party had got only 77 seats."

Calling BJP a party of liars, he said: "BJP leaders bank on fake promises. Has anyone here in Asansol received the Rs 15 lakh that was promised by PM Modi himself when he came to campaign here in the 2014 and 2019 elections? No, because it was yet another Jumla."

He said it is a real tragedy that Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Dev has come to campaign for BJP candidate in Asansol. "My car was attacked twice and our party workers were beaten up. There is no law and order in Tripura and unemployment is mounting. It is unfortunate that he is talking about peace and democracy," he said.

Giving a befitting reply to BJP's allegation that Bengal government has taken of Rs 4 lakh crore loan, Banerjee said: "Gujarat government has taken a loan of Rs 3.5 lakh crore and Uttar Pradesh government Rs 6.5 lakh crore. The Centre has taken a loan of Rs one lalkh fifty five thousand crore. Between 1947 and 2014 it was Rs 54 lakh crore and after Modi came to power the Centre has taken loan of Rs 102 lakh crore."