TMC hits back at PM, says BJP running lynching syndicate
Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress on Monday reacted sharply to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "fake allegations" regarding "syndicate politics" in Bengal and hit back stating that the saffron party is itself a syndicate that peddles religious extremism.
"Who knows better than the BJP leaders about syndicate? Your party is a syndicate that peddles religious extremism. Your party is a syndicate for fanatics. Your party is a lynching syndicate. Your party is a torture syndicate," the press statement issued jointly by TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien mentioned.
Modi in his Krishak Kalyan Samavesh (farmer's welfare rally) in West Midnapore had alleged that a political syndicate in Bengal is rampant right from the use of development money disbursed by the centre to college admission. The TMC retorted: "Your party is a syndicate of corruption. So, BJP leaders should not play with fire."
The ruling party further claimed that the BJP is using its syndicate and power at the Centre and harassing their party leaders through agencies like the CBI, ED and the like but made it clear that they would not bow down to such practice. "Try as much you may to harass us with your agencies, we will not bow down to any syndicate," the statement stated.
The TMC further raised questions about Modi's claims of doubling the farmer's income and said: "May we now ask the BJP leader how he plans to double farmers' income? It was a promise made many years ago in his party's Manifesto but still not delivered," the party statement pointed out.
It shared the condition of the farmers in Bengal making a strong case in claiming that the farmers' condition in the state is far better than many of the BJP-ruled states in the country. "In Bengal, farmers' income has gone up 2.25 times in seven years. In 2011, it was Rs 91,000 and last year it went up to Rs 2,90,000," the statement reiterated.
The two senior leaders also furnished a Parliamentary report on farmer suicide figures that read: "In the first quarter of 2017, the number of farmer suicides in Maharashtra was 635 while the figure for Bengal was zero."
According to the report, the farmer suicide figures in Madhya Pradesh was 1321, 408 in Gujarat, 250 in Haryana and 682 in
Chhattisgarh in the year 2016 but in Bengal, there has not been a single suicide.
The two senior leaders further maintained that the rally was hardly attended by any locals and farmers and people from neighbouring states like Jharkhand and Orissa were present.
Referring to the recent allegations of extortion from students for
admission in colleges, the Prime Minister said the TMC has ruined the state further, after the 34-year Left rule.
Discussing the Panchayat polls and violence in the state, Modi said he salutes the people for coming out in support of the BJP in huge numbers "despite the reign of terror let loose by the TMC".
