“Did TMC protect a criminal because his name is Shahjahan Sheikh?”: PM Modi Rakes Up Sandeshkhali, Claims Hindus being treated as “Second Class Citizens” in Bengal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress insinuating that ruling party was trying to divide the state on religious lines for electoral gains. Addressing a poll rally in Bengal’s Bardhaman, the Prime Minister accused the ruling TMC of indulging in appeasement politics, thereby, treating the Hindus of the state as “second class citizens” in the state.

“TMC has a problem with people chanting Jai Shri Ram. They have a problem with the construction of the Ram Mandir. They also have a problem when Ram Navami processions are taken out… The Dalit sisters of Sandeshkhali faced such problems, the whole country was rallying around the demand for a probe, but the TMC kept protecting the criminal. I want to ask the TMC, were you protecting culprit because his name is Shahjahan Sheikh?”asked the Prime Minister alleging that TMC indulges in appeasement politics to cater to their “muslim votebank.”

The Prime Minister also hit out at Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, taking a jibe at the former after he was fielded from Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli seat earlier today, saying that the party’s decision stemmed out of their fear of facing a defeat in Wayanad, Kerala. “Even before the Lok Sabha election dates were announced, I had predicted that their supreme leader will not dare to contest. She will run away out of fear. She ran to Rajasthan and from there entered Rajya Sabha. I had said that shehzade (Rahul Gandhi) knows that he would lose from Wayand, and the moment the polls ended, he went out looking for another seat. Despite their supporters saying that he would contest from Amethi, he panicked so much that he ran away from there and is now is contesting from Raebareli. These people keep going around telling people Daro Mat (Don’t be scared). But today, I tell them, arey daro mat, bhaago mat (Don’t be scared, don’t run away)" said PM Modi.

During his speech, Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi once again raked up the “Mangalsutra” issue and assured the people that they need not fear the “divisive forces of the INDI alliance” as long as he is alive. “Congressed has announced that they will do an x-ray of your houses, shops, fields, and the mangalsutras of my sisters and then confiscate a portion of it and give it to their jihadi votebank. Will you let them loot your property, your jewelry, and your mangalsutras?” asked Modi. “Congress will do this to punish the Adivasis, Dalits and the OBCs because they have supported Modi all these years,” he added.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded Dilip Ghosh from Bardhaman-Durgapur, against Trinamool Congress surprise card and cricketer Kirti Azad. The constituency goes to polling on May 13. The 2024 Lok Sabha elections are being conducted in 7 phases. The first phase was on April 19, and the second phase was on April 26, the subsequent phases will follow on May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. The results will be declared on June 4.