“Didi ne Bengal ko baarbaad kar diya,” Amit Shah accuses Mamata's Government of corruption at the Mega BJP rally in Kolkata

Union Home Minister Amit Shah lashed out at Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress over the alleged mass corruption and scams that have come to the fore under the incumbent government of West Bengal. “Didi ne Bengal ko baarbaad kar diya,” (Mamata’s government has ruined Bengal) alleged the Union Home Minister, in a Mega-Rally organized by the BJP in Kolkata on Wednesday.

The public gathering staged in Central Kolkata has been regarded as a demonstration against the reported widespread corruption and scandals that have punctuated the three consecutive terms of Mamata Banerjee's government in Bengal. According to the BJP leadership, corruption in Bengal is expected to be the primary focus for the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

“I come from Gujarat. But in my entire life I have never seen such huge wads of cash getting recovered from the house of a minister,” said the Union Minister expressing his disbelief in tandem with the money recovered from a TMC leader’s house. Shah has maintained that corrupt practices in Bengal have grown exponentially, unchecked, under the Mamata Banerjee government, and has alleged that the CM’s nephew, Abhishek Banerjee is also involved in the same. “I challenge Mamata Banerjee to suspend arrested leaders Jyotipriya Mallik, Partha Chatterjee, and Anubrata Mondal from the party. She cannot. Because she is afraid they would name her nephew,” he said.

Trinamool Congress has alleged that the BJP-led Union government has wrongfully frozen Bengal’s funds in lieu of the MGNREGA scheme and other central government welfare measures. At the Dharamtala gathering, Shah provided a statement of accounts of all the money disbursed by the Modi government for Bengal. “As against Rs 2 lakh crore given to Bengal by the earlier Congress governments, the Modi govt has disbursed over Rs 8 lakh crore under different heads in nine years itself,” said Shah, rubbishing the claims of the Trinamool Congress. He sharpened his attack further by alleging that the ‘Trinamool syndicate’ has not allowed the vast sums of money sent by PM Modi for the poor people of Bengal.

“Will a person who takes bribes and gifts to ask questions in the Parliament ever be able to do anything for the welfare of the people of Bengal?” asked Shah, launching a veiled attack on TMC MP Mahua Moitra over the alleged ‘cash-for-query’ scam.

The implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act that was passed in 2019 December was mentioned in his fiery speech. “CAA is a law of this land. I promise it will be implemented in this country and no one can stop it,” affirmed Amit Shah. Interestingly, the implementation of the act was vehemently protested against by Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress. “In a state where so much infiltration occurs, how will development take place here?... That is why Mamata Banerjee is opposing CAA," said Shah alleging that voter and Aadhaar cards are being illegally distributed to infiltrators in Bengal. 

BJP’s Mega rally at the metropolis was attended by thousands of supporters on a weekday. Amit Shah appealed to the masses for their votes and said, “You gave 18 seats to us in 2019. Give enough seats in 2024 to the BJP from Bengal and ensure that Modi returns to power in the Centre with an overwhelming majority… I promise that the BJP will form government in Bengal with a 2/3 majority in 2026.”

The location of BJP’s political program coincided with the spot where Trinamul traditionally holds its yearly public event to commemorate Martyrs' Day on July 21. The BJP obtained permission for this gathering from the Chief Justice's Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court after initially facing resistance from the Kolkata Police in granting approval for the event.