The Trinamul Congress mounted a scathing counter-offensive on Wednesday on Narendra Modi, alleging that his party’s key campaign planks of women’s security and corruption in Bengal were contrary to the BJP's dubious track record of dealing with its leaders accused of graft and crimes against women.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s party, from moments after the Prime Minister’s Barasat address ended, began returning fire. In the evening, it issued a “Report Card” on Modi’s guarantees, which was in a 10-pointer claim versus fact-check format, to accuse him of having “FAILED”.
“MODI KI GUARANTEE: Shelter Rapists & Corrupt In BJP,” Trinamul alleged in the release.
Although till late on Wednesday evening, there was no direct comment from Mamata or her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, the Trinamul chairperson posted a video message on social media not long after his speech, urging people to join Trinamul’s March 10 Brigade Parade Grounds rally.
“Bengal’s patience & courtesy should NOT be mistaken for its weakness. The Bohiragoto Jomidars (outsider feudal lords) must be reminded of this on March 10,” she wrote in the post.
In its response to Modi — since the BJP’s primary poll planks in Bengal this time are alleged crimes against women and corruption — Trinamul issued a statement on X.
“Membership to ‘Modi Ka Parivar’ is EXCLUSIVE to CRIMINALS, RAPISTS and the CORRUPT,” it wrote.
In the so-called report card, Trinamul countered Modi’s claims such as: the BJP government introduced legislation to ensure death penalty for rapists; the BJP government ensured women’s safety; the Prime Minister supports women and works for their welfare; he will uproot corruption; and the BJP has honestly worked for Viksit (developed) Bengal.
According to Mamata’s party, the “reality” is: the BJP-led Gujarat government allowed early release of imprisoned rapists of Bilkis Bano and garlanded them upon their release; the BJP’s IT cell chief Amit Malviya hired “rapists”, involved in the “gang-rape” of IIT-BHU victim in Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency; wrestlers such as Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat were dragged down the streets of Delhi, not far from Modi’s residence, for demanding action against assault-accused BJP MP Brij Bhushan Saran Singh; Modi and his team endorse or promote “corrupt” leaders such as Suvendu Adhikari and Himanta Biswa Sarma; and how, since the drubbing in the 2021 Bengal Assembly elections, the BJP stopped releasing central funds due to the state, adding up to Rs 1.60 lakh crore.
In her video message, Mamata tore into the Modi’s government and party — albeit anonymously — over the alleged step-motherly treatment of Bengal, attempts to polarise through communal politics, the contentious citizenship matrix, attempts to divide the state, and insults to its pluralist ethos.
“Your (March 10) gathering, your collective slogans, your united support will take Bengal further in the path of progress,” said the chief minister.
“The way Bengal is being shamed, its poor are being deprived… funds for roads have been stopped, funds for homes have been stopped, funds for MGNREGA, funds for healthcare schemes…. Creating a distorted culture, which Bengal never did accept. It is the cultural capital of India, which respects all cultures,” she added.
She said the time had come for the people to unite and take the pledge, for the love of Bengal and the nation.
“Come, let’s make this vow as a unit, that we will not be defeated. We will not yield even an inch without a fight. We will fight, play, build, and win. We will stand triumphant,” said Mamata.
