West Bengal Victory: Modi Promises Strict Actions against Infiltrators, Immediate Implementation of Central Health Scheme

Rohit Kumar

NEW DELHI, May 4: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded BJP’s massive win in West Bengal as a “historic chapter” in the state’s history even as he said a new chapter of development has already begun in the state.

Addressing the party workers at the BJP headquarters in Delhi on Monday evening, Mr Modi said, “A new chapter has been added to the destiny of Bengal from today. Bengal has been freed from fear and is now filled with the confidence of development. Bengal is now “bhay mukt” (free from fear) and “vikas ke bharose se yukt hua hai” (filled with confidence in development.) “Banglay poriborton hoye geche” (Changes have taken place in Bengal),” PM. Modi told the gathering in Bengali.

Modi, who came to address the meeting wearing Dhoti-Kurta in Bengali style, said, “I dedicate the credit for the Bharatiya Janata Party’s success in Bengal – this victory – to the people of Bengal… A new sunrise has dawned on the sacred land of Bengal,” he added.

He said now the BJP has won, there would be talks of ‘badlav (change)’ and not ‘badla (revenge)’. “When BJP has won in Bengal, there should be talk of ‘badlav (change)’ not ‘badla (revenge)’; ‘bhavishya (future)’ not ‘bhay (fear)’,” he said.

Hailing the winds of change in Bengal that have swept away the Mamata Banerjee government and embraced the BJP after years of diffidence, Mr Modi also made two important promises — strong action against ghuspaethia (infiltrators) and immediate activation of the Central health scheme in the state, over which there was years of conflict with the state’s Trinamool Congress government.

“Last year, on November 14th – when the election results of Bihar were declared – I stood right here, at the BJP Headquarters, and told you all that the River Ganga flows onwards from Bihar all the way to Gangasagar. Today, with this victory in Bengal, the lotus has blossomed everywhere – from Gangotri to Gangasagar,” PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister also touched upon the big Assam victory, where the party secured a third straight term. “Along with the Ganga, the Brahmaputra, too, has bestowed its abundant blessings; the people of Assam have placed their trust in the BJP for the third consecutive time,” PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister also took a dig at the Opposition parties on the occasion, indicating that while women – angry over the defeat of the quota bill in parliament – ​​had exacted revenge over Banerjee in Bengal, a similar fate awaits all the parties that blocked the bill. “I had said a few days ago that parties opposing reservation for women will have to face the wrath of women. The sisters and daughters of our nation have now punished the Congress, Trinamool, and the DMK,” he said.

“In Kerala, the Congress has certainly benefited from the ten years of misrule by the Left, but I am confident that the sisters of Kerala will also teach the party a lesson in the next elections. Similarly, the Samajwadi Party will also have to endure the outrage of the women of Uttar Pradesh… The anti-women Samajwadi Party will never be able to wash away its sins, no matter what it tries,” PM Modi said.

A furious Mamata Banerjee attributed the shock Bengal results to “loot, loot, loot”, underscoring that her party, the Trinamool, would bounce back. She targeted the Election Commission, calling it the “BJP Commission” after results showed the BJP in the lead and her party a distant second.

The BJP scored a fabulous win in Bengal, long considered ‘Mission Impossible’ for the ruling party at the Centre. “More than 100 seats BJP looted. The Election Commission is the BJP’s commission. I complained to the CO and also Manoj Agrawal, but they are not doing anything,” Banerjee, surrounded by security personnel, told reporters in Kolkata.

“Do you think this is a victory? It is an immoral victory, not a moral victory. Whatever the Election Commission has done, along with the Central Forces and the PM and Home Minister, is totally illegal. It is loot, loot, loot. We will bounce back,” she added.”