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Criminalisation of politics and corruption in West Bengal has reached intolerable levels, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda said on Monday and accused chief minister Mamata Banerjee of not reporting coronavirus disease (Covid-19) positive cases to the Centre, while urging the public to vote out the incumbent state government in the assembly polls slated to be held next year.<\/p>\n
\u201cViolence and criminalisation of politics have reached intolerable levels. All the time we only hear about \u2018cut-money\u2019. Cut the size of such leaders in the coming times,\u201d said Nadda.<\/p>\n
\u2018Cut-money\u2019, or illegal commission, charged from beneficiaries of social welfare schemes by TMC leaders and workers in the districts became a raging issue during the last parliamentary elections, which helped the BJP bag a record 18 of the state\u2019s 42 Lok Sabha seats. <\/p>\n
At present, the TMC leadership is trying to tackle the growing allegations of nepotism and corruption during the distribution of compensation for villagers affected by cyclone Amphan in May.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pride of Bengal has to be restored. We have to drive out the present government lock, stock, and barrel and establish the BJP rule in the state,\u201d said Nadda. <\/p>\n
He made these comments while addressing Bengal party workers from Delhi at a virtual rally marking the 119th birth anniversary of nationalist leader Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, the founder president of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh, which led to the birth of the BJP in 1980.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Bengal government is trying to end the era of principled politics that Shyama Prasad Mookerjee lived for and Bengal was known for. Now, they put their political opponents in jail and frame them in narcotics-related cases. The chief minister does not report Covid-19 cases to the Centre. What kind of federalism is this?\u201d asked Nadda.<\/p>\n
However, he stopped short of naming CM Banerjee and TMC. <\/p>\n
\u201cPrime Minister Narendra Modi believes in federalism and has taken everyone on board in his fight against Covid-19. But the chief minister does not even implement Ayushman Bharat meant for the healthcare of the poor people because it is a Central government scheme,\u201d said Nadda. <\/p>\n
While paying tribute to the life and works of Mookerjee and his dream of seeing Kashmir as an integral part of India, Nadda criticised Jawaharlal Nehru for his policies.<\/p>\n
\u201cBengal was a state that led India from the front. Under the present government, education has nosedived. Politicisation has reached such a low level that even your education depends on who you vote for. Today\u2019s leaders are ready to compromise on all fronts only to remain in power,\u201d said Nadda.<\/p>\n
Union ministers from Bengal, Babul Supriyo and Debasree Chaudhury, also addressed the rally on Monday morning.<\/p>\n
Reacting to Nadda\u2019s allegation against the TMC government, state parliamentary affairs minister Partha Chatterjee termed it baseless and an attempt to mislead the people of Bengal.<\/p>\n
For BJP what matters most is votes. So they can go to any extent, from telling lies to distorting history. The allegation of education being politicised is baseless. They want to destroy our culture and tradition. They want to thrust their culture and ideology on Bengalis and are trying to mislead the people of Bengal, Chatterjee said.<\/p>\n
With inputs from PTI.<\/i><\/p>\n
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