Coming down heavily on the BJP, Trinamul Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said the leaders of the saffron party come to Bengal to speak lies about CAA and other schemes which will be implemented if they come to power.

He said that a responsible, sensitive, progressive and secular INDIA bloc will come to power in Delhi and pro-people schemes will be introduced and skyrocketing of the prices of essential commodities will be addressed. He was addressing a gathering at Bongaon in support of the party’s nominee, Biswajit Das. In 2019 BJP candidate Shantanu Thakur was elected from the seat. The seat will vote on 20 May.

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Mr Banerjee said in 2019, BJP leaders had come to the area and said unconditional citizenship will be given to the Matuas. Now, they are saying the Matuas will have to fill up a form, he said, and warned that once they do it they will be sent to detention camp like 12 lakh Hindus who have been sent to the detention camp in Assam. “If Narendra Modi and Amit Shah declare that there will be no NRC, I will be the first person to support them. But they cannot announce this,” he said. He said BJP leaders have said they would provide Rs 3.000 a month to women of the state under Lakshmir Bhandar.

“BJP is rulling in 17 states. If they can give Lakshmir Bhandar to 10 crore women in UP another 3 crore women in Rajasthan and 2 more crore women in Gujarat I will not come to you to ask for vote. This is all hoax. Mamata Banerjee had announced to introduce Lakshmir Bhandar before the election and it was introduced. Now, 2.12 crore women in Bengal are getting the benefit. The money which they receive has also been enhanced,” he pointed out. Mr Banerjee said the BJP does not have any respect for Matua deities Harichand Thakur and Guruchand Thakur.

“ When Mamatabala Thakur had gone to Delhi to be sworn in as a member of Rajya Sabha, she took the names of Harichand Thakur and Guruchand Thakur at the swearing in ceremony. The Chairman of Rajya Sabha stopped her from uttering the names of Harichand Thakur and Guruchand Thakur. This is BJP. They have no respect for them but comes here to ask for votes.” He said if BJP is voted into power this time they will introduce one nation one election and thereby take away the rights of the people of this country.

“Now, people elect their candidates in three-tier Panchayat Raj,civic bodies, Assembly and Parliament but everything will go and their right will be taken away,” he said. Mr Banerjee said if Mr Das wins, the Bongaon Assembly seat will fall vacant. “I will come again in July and through secret ballot, people will decide whom they want as their candidate from Bongaon Assembly seat,” he said. He urged people to vote for Trinamul Congress for the area’s uninterrupted development.