West Bengal elections 2021: Rajnath Singh says Mamata Banerjee took State back to 19th century

Kolkata, Mar 25: Union defence minister Rajnath Singh accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of "taking back Bengal to the 19th century, with no development work undertaken in the past 10 years". Singh said that the TMC dispensation, just like its predecessor, the Left Front, has wronged the people of the state.

During his public meeting in Purulia district, Singh took a dig at the TMC's 'khela hobe' (game will be played) slogan, and said Bengal, now on, will witness only work and development.

Alleging that the TMC supremo delivers speeches encouraging acts of violence and aggression, the union minister wondered if the chief minister "seeks to divide the country" by repeatedly terming people who have come from other states as outsiders.

Stressing that the Bharatiya Jan Sangh, which later became the BJP, was established by Syama Prasad Mookerjee -- a son of Bengal -- Singh said, "Will any brother from this state be considered an outsider in Uttar Pradesh? All people born on the soil of India are brothers to each other."

Claiming that the TMC dispensation has done nothing for the people of Bengal, Singh said, "How is it possible that those belonging to one party (BJP) are outsiders, while you, having ruined Bengal, are an insider? The CM, instead of undertaking development work, makes thoughtless remarks.

Maintaining that the BJP government at the Centre has never discriminated against the people of the state, as often alleged by the TMC, the senior saffron party leader said, "The Congress-led UPA government at the Centre had given ₹1.32 lakh crore to Bengal under the 13th Finance Commission, while the Modi government allotted ₹4.48 lakh crore to the state under the 14th Finance Commission."