‘Modi govt most corrupt since Independence’

Narendra Modi’s government is the most corrupt government since Independence and Amit Shah’s BJP is the most corrupt political party, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday. She also urged people not to support the saffron party.

Addressing a huge rally here on Wednesday afternoon, she termed demonetisation as the “the biggest scam” and added: “Deep conspiracy has been hatched to rob the country. I request the Prime Minister to come up with a statement explaining the reasons behind demonetising high value notes.”

She further said: “Since Independence, many governments had been at the Centre. There were governments run by Jawaharlal Nehru, Lalbahadur Shastri, Guljarilal Nanda, Indira Gandhi, Morarji Desai, Chandrashekhar and Atal Bihari Vajpayee but this government is the worst and the most corrupt government ever. The people of the country will be safe only if Modi is removed.”

She said the country was being ruled by “a goonda (Amit Shah) and a panda (leader) Narendra Modi.” She alleged that the BJP was playing communal cards and trying to disturb the stability in Bengal. She urged people not to get swayed by communal provocation. “We should be cautious. BJP is playing the communal card and trying to disturb Bengal. We have our own culture and we will not allow anyone to pay the communal card here,” she said.

She maintained that the “Central government is both blind and deaf as it cannot see anything nor can it hear anything. It is functioning in the most unconstitutional way using its physical strength,” she said adding: “Just because you have numerical strength, you cannot run the country using your force. People will not forgive you for your misdeeds,” she said.

Throwing a challenge to the Prime Minister, Banerjee said the Centre had engaged its agencies to heckle Trinamool Congress leaders. “If you have the courage, then arrest me. But I will not leave the path of launching movement against your arbitrary decision to demonetise high value notes. It is most unfortunate that the Centre had reduced all its agencies into ‘party wings.’ I will not name the agencies for whom we have great regard. Now these agencies have been reduced to wings of a political party,” she said.

Cautioning people against the Centre, she said: “This government has first looted your money. Then it will rob your jewellery and finally your land.”

Banerjee said during the administrative meeting, bank officials told her that the supply of notes was inadequate. “What I heard from the bank officials in Bankura on Tuesday, I heard the same thing from the officials here. What a pathetic situation,” she remarked.

Banerjee said the students could not withdraw their scholarship, pensioners could not withdraw their money and those engaged in 100 days’ work had failed to get their money from the banks as the “banks were running dry”. She said due to the lack of planning, the Centre is issuing one instruction or the other, every single day. “They are giving one instruction in the morning which they are changing in the afternoon. Again, what had been issued in the afternoon is changed in the evening and by night some new instruction is issued.”

She rued the decision and said: “More than a month has lapsed but the situation has not improved and all governmental work has been stalled.” She urged people from all walks of life to unite against the “autocratic” Centre and assured them that she would be by their side. She said the movement against demonetisation which Bengal had launched would be followed by other states soon.