Centre plotting to destabilise govts of oppn-ruled states, BJP most destructive party — Mamata

Kolkata, July 21 (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday accused the Centre of “hatching conspiracies” to pull down the governments in opposition-ruled states by employing federal agencies and money power, and branded the BJP as the “most destructive” party.

Invoking Bengali subnationalism, Banerjee termed BJP an “outsider” in West Bengal and said the state should not be ruled by “Gujarat and outsiders but by the people of the soil”.

Banerjee alleged the Centre has deprived Bengal of resources and asserted people will give a befitting reply to it for the injustice.

“A conspiracy is being hatched by the union government to destabilise the elected government of Bengal by using central agencies and money power. BJP is the most destructive party the country has ever seen.

“When the country is busy fighting the Covid pandemic, the BJP is busy destabilising the elected governments in Rajasthan and West Bengal after Madhya Pradesh,” she said addressing her first digital rally to mark the ‘Martyrs’ Day’.

The TMC holds a ‘Martyrs’ Day’ rally on July 21 every year to commemorate the death of 13 people in police firing during a protest led by Banerjee against the then Left Front government in 1993.

“Why should Gujarat rule all states? We won’t tolerate this rule of two brothers ( Narendra Modi and Amit Shah).

What’s the need for a federal structure? Create a ‘one nation-one party’ system then,” she said, in a scathing attack on the Centre over the political turmoil in Rajasthan while referring to the Gujarati origin of the prime minister and the home minister.

She alleged a “reign of fear” is prevailing across the country.

The feisty TMC boss asked people to vote her party to power in the assembly elections due next year and promised to take West Bengal to new heights.

“People of Bengal will rule the state and not outsiders and people from Gujarat. We should strive to ensure that security deposits of all the BJP candidates get forfeited,” she said, invoking Bengali pride.

Accusing the central government of “maligning, insulting and depriving” the people of West Bengal, she said, before pointing fingers at her state the centre should talk about the “jungle raj and encounter raj” in Uttar Pradesh.

“Centre is conspiring against Bengal, saying every day there is violence and lawlessness. What about UP where jungle raj prevails. People there are afraid about even lodging a police complaint. Several police officers were killed in a single incident. The main culprit was killed in a so-called encounter to hide the truth,” she said.

Indicating that the controversial National Population Register (NPR) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be the TMC’s major electoral planks in the assembly polls, Banerjee said the people of West Bengal have not forgotten “how innocent people were killed during the Delhi riots and genuine citizens thrown into detention camps in Assam”.

Banerjee alleged the NPR and NRC were tools to create rift between communities.

“What citizenship is the BJP talking about? The refugees (from Bangladesh) have already got citizenship,” she said.

“An attempt is being made to stir up communal disharmony. A party is trying to incite Hindu-Muslim riots.

Remember that people of all faiths are equal. This country….

Bengal…is for all, Banerjee said.

Accusing the Centre of not extending any help to the state government post-cyclone Amphan apart from the Rs 1,000 crore interim aid, the chief minister said the state announced a INR 6,500 crore relief package mobilising its own resources.

“I want to assure those affected by cyclone Amphan that all of them will receive state government aid. Canard is being spread against us based on a few incidents,” she said, referring to the spate of protests over alleged irregularities and discrimination in relief distribution.

Banerjee declared that if voted to power for a third term next year, her government will provide free ration and health care to all.

“Ration is being given for free to 10 crore people of the state, and after we return to power, we will make it free for the rest of their lives,” she said.

On the Covid-19 crisis in the state, she said, the focus of her government will be “on more testing, tracking and tracing” to stem its surge.