Balarampur (Purulia): Calling BJP's rathyatra a "Ravan Yatra", Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee said the slogan of the hour is "BJP Bharat charo, BJP desh charo," while addressing a mammoth rally of party workers here on Wednesday afternoon.
"We have heard of the rathyatra of Jagannath Sri Krishna and now we see Ram rath which is actually Ravan rath. It is a luxurious 5 star arrangement. The netas enjoy inside the rath and come out only to incite people and set one against the other," she said, adding: "Trinamool Congress will organise a 'pabitra yatra' and do Ravan badh democratically."
Banerjee said that if BJP comes back to power, more farmers will commit suicide and ordinary people will not be able to get bank loans. The country that has been shattered because of BJP's economic policies, will slide further into darkness.
She said: "BJP will lose in Rajasthan, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Neither will it win in Tamil Nadu, nor Karnataka. The seats which BJP has in Bengal in the Lok Sabha, will come down to zero in the 2019 Parliament election."
She said people with saffron headwear are coming to Jhargram and Purulia to destroy peace and the social fabric. "Those who come here to create trouble should look after their own state, which has failed to provide basic amenities to people."
Coming down heavily on Congress and CPI-M, she said the parties have paved the way for BJP in Bengal. "Congress and CPI-M had partnered with BJP in the Panchayat polls. They are working together to stall development in Bengal," she remarked, adding: "These parties did not come to Jangalmahal when the Maoists had unleashed terror in the area. Children could not go to school and normal life was paralysed. I came to the area and held several meetings. After Trinamool Congress came to power in 2011, massive development work was carried out and we could get back the confidence of people."
She regretted that whenever election comes, BJP, Congress and CPI-M surface in Bengal's political scenario, just to create trouble. "People have seen how peace has been established in Darjeeling and Jangalmahal," Banerjee added.
She maintained that Trinamool Congress has carried out massive development activities in Jangalmahal. School-going boys and girls are getting schoolbags, shoes and cycles free of cost. New colleges and university have come up in the area. Through Kanyashree, girls are getting scholarships to carry on with their higher studies.
"BJP is spreading canards against Trinamool Congress and misleading people. You should protest whenever you find BJP not telling the truth," said the Trinamool supremo.
In Balarampur, BJP had won some seats in Gram Panchayat and Panchayat Samity in the Panchayat election. Warning party workers she said: "We do not want those who keep contact with BJP clandestinely. Our workers in the blocks are our assets. Our youth force will work hard to win the elections."
She invited people to join the Brigade rally scheduled to be held on January 19, 2019. "Leaders of eighteen/nineteen political parties have confirmed to join the rally. We are yet to get conformation from two parties."