Modi's assurance of creating 'Sonar Bangla' a big hoax: Abhishek

Sabang (West Midnapore): Refuting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claim that given a chance BJP would turn the state into 'Sonar Bangla', Trinamool Youth Congress president and party MP Abhishek Banerjee, addressing a rally here, said Modi's assurance was nothing but a big hoax.

Taking a dig on BJP's inability to stop the infighting after the party's candidates' list was announced Banerjee said: "First BJP should control infighting then speak about controlling violence in Bengal." He also asked why PM Modi had failed to create 'Sonar India' and 'Sonar Tripura'. The TMC PM stating that Mamata Banerjee had given a 10-year report card, asked where was "Modiji's report card?" Reacting to the Prime Minister's rhetoric on TMC's slogan "khela hobe" Banerjee stated that Modi remarks "Didi says 'khela hobe' and we say 'Vikas hobe', however, 'vikas' for the BJP means "killing of farmers". Addressing a mammoth rally here in support of Trinamool's candidate Manas Bhuniya, he said: "Narendra Modi comes to Bengal to speak garbage of lies and his assurance to set up Sonar Bangla is a big hoax."

Calling Modi a "bluff master general" Banerjee said: "After the note ban Modi had said give me 50 days and I will stop the inflow of black money, failing which I am ready to take any punishment. Five years have gone since then and the inflow of black money has not stopped," he said, adding: "If he takes five years to stop the inflow of black money, then he will take at least 500 years to create Sonar Bangla."

Banerjee said BJP's central leadership were coming to Bengal only to speak lies. The BJP leaders criticize Mamata Banerjee for not implementing Ayushman Bharat but never speak the truth which is "persons living in pucca houses, having a fridge, smart phones or two wheelers are not entitled to get Ayushman Bharat whereas the Swasthya Sathi introduced by Mamata Banerjee covers every individual of the state."

Banerjee added to consolidate women empowerment, Mamata Banerjee had announced that every general caste family in the state would get Rs 500 per month and those belonging to SC and ST categories would get Rs 1000 and the money would be deposited in the bank account of the senior most woman member of the family. He challenged the BJP leaders to organize a national debate in any media on development and he would participate to talk on the all-round development that had been carried out in Bengal in the past 10 years. He took part in a roadshow from Debra auditorium to Debra Bazaar where he urged people to vote for Trinamool as Bengal wanted its own daughter.