Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday accused the BJP government at the Centre of subverting democracy and said the TMC will work with all opposition parties to oust the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
She addressed a mammoth rally to mark the beginning of " BJP Quit India" movement here on Wednesday afternoon. It was on August 9, 1942, 75 years ago, that Mahatma Gandhi had launched the Quit India movement to put an end to British rule. The first phase of Trinamool's anti-BJP movement will continue till September 5. The second phase will start after Bhai Phonta.
Referring to the Rajya Sabha election in Gujarat which was held on Tuesday, Banerjee said it was a fight between democracy and dictatorship and "it is good that democracy has triumphed."
Coming down heavily on the BJP she said it was trying to crush the opposition parties and the federal structure of India.
"They can threaten us by using the ED, Income Tax and the CBI but we are not afraid of it. The central government has turned into a government of the agencies, by the agencies, of the agencies and for the agencies," she alleged.
She cautioned the people against BJP's attempt to fuel communal riots. " BJP is trying to trigger communal riots in Bengal and we should be alert and foil their attempts." BJP's divisive politics has weakened the country. " They are trying to divide India on the basis of religion. But we will not allow this to happen. " Bengal has always fought for communal harmony and peace. It is the land of Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath and Nazrul and any attempt to destabilize Bengal will be dealt with severely."
Banerjee said in the name of note ban and GST, BJP has ruined the common people. More than 100 people had died because of note ban. "Lakhs of people lost their jobs and the economic condition of India took a nosedive. Till today BJP has not clarified what it had done with the notes it had collected from common people." BJP leaders are talking about poor people and " then have their lunch and dinner in star hotels," she said adding " if you really work for the people then why do you slash the Centre's contribution in different projects. Earlier, Centre used to contribute 90% in ICDS projects and the state's contribution was 10%. But now the trend is reversed and we are paying from our coffers to keep ICDS centres functional." She said by making Aadhar mandatory to get benefits under various schemes, the Centre has actually harassed poor people. " They talk big and work little but despite financial constraints, Bengal government has taken up several schemes for the poor."
Banerjee said she would attend the rally convened by RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav in Patna later this month.
The TMC leader also accused the BJP of shedding "crocodile tears" for adivasis and backward sections of the society,
"On the one hand they (BJP) are lynching adivasis and people from backward sections of society, while on the other hand, they are clicking photographs with adivasis and having lunch at their houses," she charged.