Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee once again blamed the Narendra Modi Government for allowing the Pulwama attack to take place and attacked the BJP for trying to divide the electorate by spreading hatred.
The Chief Minister who was speaking at a mass gathering at Tarakeshwar in Hooghly district on Friday accused the Centre of neglecting the security issue that allowed the terrorists to launch one of the most dreaded attacks on the Indian security forces in the history of free India.
Wondering as to “what the Government was doing before the attack” and “why they did not take adequate measures” despite having prior reports Banerjee said “they were all doing politics and nothing else over the issue.”
Accusing the BJP and the RSS of fomenting communal tension in Bengal by spreading rumors Banerjee said, “I will do everything for the people but I will never allow riots to take place in our State,” adding, how a band of half-literate people were feigning as champions of Hindu religion in the garb of saffron clothes.
“They have no sense of the Hindu ethos, no knowledge of the true Hindu scriptures. They only know how to fan riots by spreading rumors. But I will not allow them to do so in Bengal,” she said complaining how the agents of the RSS and BJP were spreading rumor of child-lifters in parts of the State.
“As the Chief Minister I have specific information that they have let loose burqa-clad people in the market to pass off as child-lifters. Then they are spreading rumors about these child-lifters so as to incite people and create a communal disharmony,” Banerjee said referring to the recent spate of mass thrashing of alleged child-lifters in parts of Bengal.
Attacking the BJP Government for creating a mass hysteria to turn the public attention from its failed promises Banerjee asked, “What happened to the promise that you (Modi) made to the people of bringing back black money from abroad and depositing Rs 15 lakh in each account.”
The Hindu ethos was against violence she said asking people to remain alert against hate-rumors. “Even I am a Hindu. Even we have seen pujas in our houses since we were children but our parents never taught to hate other religions,” she said asking “who are these people to dictate food habits among others.”
Even the “monks of Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangha wear saffron attire but they never attack others’ religions because they like true Hindus believe in the unity of religions,” she said.
In the eight years of TMC rule “not a single temple, mosque or church was touched in Bengal,” she said reminding how her government helped in renovating temples in the State,” unlike the BJP which was preoccupied with religious divide.
Accusing the Centre of playing political game with partially State-funded health schemes like Ayushman Bharat Banerjee said, “We don’t need Centre’s dole … Ayushman Bharat letters which come with pictures (of political parties) will not run in Bengal,” reminding half of the central health scheme was funded by the State Government.
