Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said “not a single intruder” would be allowed to enter West Bengal if the BJP comes to power, asserting that illegal immigrants already in the state would be “selectively rooted out”.
Addressing a rally in Hooghly district during the first phase of polling, Shah claimed that the BJP is set to form a government with a full majority. “On May 5, Didi’s game will be up. The BJP will form a government in Bengal with a full majority,” he said, even as counting is scheduled for May 4.
Pitching infiltration as a key poll issue, Shah alleged it was harming both the state’s economy and national security. “Intruders are eating away the jobs of Bengal's youth, the rations of the poor, and working to undermine the country's security,” he said.
Stepping up his attack on the ruling Trinamool Congress, Shah accused it of fostering a “syndicate raj” and imposing what he termed a “Bhaipo tax”, in a swipe at party leader Abhishek Banerjee. He alleged that people are forced to pay extra for basic materials like cement.
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“Say ‘ta ta-bye-bye’ to the Mamata government, and we will straighten up the syndicate operators,” he said, targeting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Shah also referred to the decline of Balagarh’s traditional boat-making industry, claiming that around 41 units had shut down under the present dispensation. He promised that these would be revived if the BJP forms the government.
Invoking Bengal’s legacy, he paid tribute to Ashutosh Mukherjee and Syama Prasad Mookerjee, highlighting their contributions to education and politics.
Framing the election as a decisive moment, Shah urged voters to back the BJP in the next phase of polling on April 29. “You are pressing it to free Bengal from infiltrators,” he said, referring to the lotus symbol on EVMs.
He also accused Banerjee of promoting dynastic politics and claimed that the BJP would bring in a chief minister rooted in Bengal’s soil.
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