PM Narendra Modi hits the CM Mamata Banerjee by saying that “CM Mamata Banerjee’s “desperate” appeals to Muslims “not to split minority votes” showed she knew Trinamool had already lost the polls and “her game” was over.”
Mamata had previously asked the PM at her rally in Hooghly’s Khanakul on Sunday that “How you knew the poll result. Are you god or superhuman?” To this question, PM Modi gave a reply on his Tuesday rally in north Bengal’s Coochbehar. He said that “Recently, you appealed against splitting Muslim votes. It shows that the Muslim vote bank, once your strength, is slipping away. Muslims too have started distancing themselves from you,” Further PM Modi commented on her “Mussalman Ek ho jao, Mujhe Bachao (Muslims unite to save me)” appeals. He said that “Remember what Didi had once said? I am ready to be kicked by the cow that gives me milk, She has broken the hearts of the people of Bengal. I don’t know if Didi has got notices from the Election Commission. But had I said all Hindus must unite and vote for BJP, the EC would have sent eight to 10 notices to me. Mamata’s “khela (game)” at a Nandigram booth last week was enough to indicate that she had lost. Your anger at everything — from someone wearing a tilak to the Election Commission to electronic voting machines — shows that you have lost, Didi asks me how I know about the outcome? Am I god or superhuman? I say Trinamool’s defeat is written on the faces of Janta Janardhan (the masses). And Didi’s anger, her desperation, the language she is using, say it all.”
Further, PM mentioned that how the Bengal CM’s tone and tenor at the time of elections had transformed. He said that “There was a time when you used to ask for deployment of central forces. The EC, central security forces, and EVMs helped you win polls in the last 10 years. Now you are blaming the EC, casting aspersions on security forces. You have problems with the EVM too. People say you love to play football. But this time you have scored a self-goal.” The issue of leaked audiotapes on illegal coal mining was also raised by the PM. Modi commented that “the leaked “audio tapes” on illegal coal-mining in Bengal that was cite md by BJP a couple of days ago as “proof” of corruption.” He further added that “Koyla Dhule maila jay na (Washing away coal grime will not wash away the filth),” He connected the alleged scam to the “Bhaipo Service Tax”. Then he asked the Howrah mass to answer to Mamata’s charges that BJP was bestowing money to people to attend its rallies. “Have you been paid to attend this rally? Isn’t this an insult?” he asked, exhorting people to “punish” those who had insulted them.
The PM then detailed his efforts to pick up Bengali and the taunts he had been fronting for his pronunciation. “I started wishing MPs on their birthdays in their mother tongue after I assumed office. I wish for an MP from Tamil Nandi in Tamil and those from Bengal in Bengali. I once wished Banerjee in Bengali on her birthday. She wrote back to me in Gujarati. I liked it. I try to pick up bits and pieces of the local language and use them in my speech when I go to different parts of India. I know my Bengali pronunciation is not good but am trying,” he said.
Lastly, Modi assured the people of Bengal that the BJP party would resume with the existing state welfare schemes in Bengal if and when it assumed office. He said that “Some people told me Didi was saying all benefits would stop if she lost the election. This is a blatant lie and a ploy to confuse people, Kichhui bandha hobe na (Nothing will stop).”