Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee in her series of election rallies for the Assembly seats of Chinsurah, Chanditala and Konnagar on Monday spewed venom at “anti-Bengal” Narendra Modi-led BJP government for its “deliberate non-co operation” in industrial development thus depriving lakhs of educated youths from job opportunities.

She cautioned the voters that the BJP is trying to play the religion card for political mileage and stick to the faith and belief in the ideology of Sri Ramkrishna and Vivekananda. “All are sons and daughters of one almighty God who is worshipped in different forms and service to mankind is service to God.”

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She said the Jessop and the Dunlop factories, the two giant industries, are not functioning rendering thousands of workers jobless who are passing days in great distress with their families.

Miss Banerjee said: “From 2016 I have been repeatedly asking the central government to promptly take steps towards the reopening of the two factories. Even we passed a bill in the Assembly empowering the state government to take over both the sick industries. Repeatedly we appealed the BJP government to take steps so that the state government could legally take over both the industries and make them operational, but till date the anti-industry, and anti worker central government deliberately paid no heed to our repeated requests.”

“Our government is providing Rs 10,000 every month in cash and Rs 473 every month as ESI. So far the state government has spent nearly Rs 15 crore to save the lives of jobless workers of Jessop and Dunlop factories,”

“The Dunlop factory owner is a great friend of the BJP leaders. That is why that party is more concerned about its friendship with Pawan Ruiya than taking the initiative towards opening the Jessop and the Dunlop factories.”

She said a dedicated freight corridor will be soon inaugurated at Dankuni. More than Rs 72,000 crore will be invested to set up industries in the areas creating immense opportunity of thousands of jobs soon after the functioning of Deuchapachami coal mines. Mamata said the Centre has mischievous motives for holding an eight-phase election when the Covid graph is rising.

At Chanditala she said the soil of Chanditala sends out the message of communal harmony. Chanditala has the holy Shrine Furfura Sharif, temples, gurdwaras and church. “People irrespective of religion co-exist here,” Mamata said.

At Uttarpara she lashed out at the previous ruling party MLA Prabir Ghosal who later switched over to the BJP. She appealed to vote in favour of Kanchan Mallick.