This will be India's last election if Modi is re-elected: Mamata

Mathabhanga (Cooch Behar): Stepping up the ante against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday called him a "jhootha chowkidar" and alleged that he would "throw away" the Constitution and turn India into a totalitarian regime if he is re-elected and the upcoming Lok Sabha elections could be the last one in that case.

Addressing a rally here on Thursday, Banerjee challenged Modi to win more than 125 Lok Sabha seats in the general elections across the country.

She claimed that the government of the "expiry babu", the term she has coined for the Prime Minister, will be defeated in the Lok Sabha polls after losing seats across north and central parts of the country.

The people of India are sick and tired of the "fake (jhootha) chowkidar" because of his arrogance and endless lies and will replace him in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, Banerjee said.

Banerjee said the chaiwala of 2014 has now become a fake 'chowkidar'. "He does not have tea, milk or sugar and now he is playing the role of a fake chowkidar. I have respect for genuine chowkidars but not a fake one," she said. Banerjee reiterated that by making reference to the air strike in his speech on Wednesday in Siliguri, Modi has flouted the instructions of the Election Commission.

The Chief Minister further alleged: "Never in the past, people with such huge quantities of cash have been caught. BJP has looted people's money in the name of note ban and now it is being spent to win polls."

Banerjee also asserted that she will never allow the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Bengal and asked who has given Modi and BJP president Amit Shah the right to decide who will stay in the state or leave.

Vehemently opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill brought in by the BJP, Banerjee said it is a ploy to turn legal citizens of the country into refugees.

"Those who had come to India long back are now its citizens. But the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) plans to convert these citizens into refugees for six years and then grant them citizenship... What will a person do if he loses his citizenship? What will a person do if he loses his house and job? Will he wait for six years to get his citizenship restored," she stated.

She claimed that it was the Bengal government which solved the six-decade-old enclave issue with Bangladesh in 2015, and not the Modi government.

Banerjee said the chaiwala had promised to take over eight tea gardens before 2016 Assembly polls. But after that, nothing was done in this regard. "He makes false promises to win elections. He had promised to pay Rs 15 lakh to everyone but nothing of that sort happened."

She said BJP had called Atul Roy to Delhi and now when the election is round the corner Modi said he was thinking about the Rajbangshis. "Modi babu, you do not have to think as your time is over. The state government has set up Rajbangshi academy and has recognised the language."

Coming down heavily on Modi, the Trinamool Congress supremo said: "Never in the past, the country has seen such an arrogant Prime Minister who is running after publicity. He is selling Modi jacket, has opened a television channel in his name and a film on his life will be released soon. Who will see a film based on his life," she asked adding that people will see movies on the lives of "Gandhiji, Netaji or Ambedkar. No one is interested in the life of a person who speaks more lies than truth."

Addressing the first time and young voters, she said "Cast your vote in favour of Trinamool as it looks after the interests of everyone. There are schemes for each one of you."

Banerjee urged people of Cooch Bihar to vote for Trinamool candidate Paresh Adhikari to ensure the ouster of Modi and establishment of a secular pro-development government in Delhi.