Fight BJP's canards in social media, CM tells students

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday urged the students to retort back "vigorously" on social media to members of the BJP-led dispensation at the Centre.

Addressing the students at the foundation day of the Trinamool Congress Chatra Parishad at Gandhi statue on Mayo Road, Banerjee, coming down heavily on the saffron party, said: "BJP is spreading the fake and false news on social media. To humiliate the Bengal government, incidents in Bangladesh are being circulated and made viral on social media as if those had occurred here. In the past 70 years since Independence, many political parties had come to power in Delhi but none of them had circulated lies so blatantly like the BJP." She further said: "Do not believe what BJP writes on Twitter. They are all false and are circulated to mislead people."

She also advised the students to be active on social media and thwart all ill-motives of the BJP.

Banerjee further reiterated: "The BJP will be nowhere after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. BJP will be finished after the elections."

Banerjee said Bengal will continue to help the Indian nationals in Assam. "They are trying to scare people in the name of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and are threatening to start it in Bengal. If they have courage, let them try this in Bengal. Before they start they will be ousted from power."

Maintaining that "Super Emergency is being clamped in India," she said whoever from journalists to political leaders are opposing the BJP is being "tortured and harassed. Sudipda was arrested and harassed by the BJP. They are letting loose the CBI, ED and other Central agencies against political leaders across the party lines… May it be the Congress or Mayavatiji or Mulayamji or Akhilesh or Chandrababu Naidu, they are sending personnel from the Central agencies to scare them. We are not afraid of anyone and will continue to oppose any anti-people move." The Chief Minister said the BJP has purchased all the national media houses and "any journalist opposing them is being forced to resign".

Banerjee said under the BJP rule, the financial condition of the country has turned from bad to worse and its victims are the common people. From note ban to GST, common people have been affected. The BJP government has failed to tackle the unemployment crisis. She alleged that the BJP is allowing people to take the money and deposit them in foreign countries without screening. This money is used by the party to buy votes. She questioned: "Why no screening is done on the money that is going outside the country? This money is being used to buy votes."

Criticising the CPI(M), she said: "For the past 34 years, they had unleashed Reign of Terror and ruined the state financially. Now, they are joining hands with the BJP to create trouble in Bengal and stall development."

Banerjee said in the past seven years, 23 universities have come up and five more will be set up soon. Forty-six colleges have come up and various schemes have been made for the students. She advised the students to take part in community development programmes that have been launched by the police. "Go to the nearest police station and talk to the officers and join the programme that has been launched for community development."

She urged the students to "study seriously, respect their parents and develop self-respect. Be fearless and honest and let your mind be filled with positive thoughts."