Lucknow: Addressing rallies in West Bengal ahead of the second phase of polling, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday heightened the Hindutva pitch. He said West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee opposed the Citizenship Amendment Act as “Mamata didi is worried that if Hindus increase in numbers, then how will Iftar be held on the streets”. He added that under his watch in UP, “no one can offer namaz or hold an iftar party on the road”. Even the sound from mosques cannot be heard there, he said.Yogi addressed three rallies on Saturday, in Nabadip, Bagda and Katwa. Promising that BJP’s double engine govt would promote Sanatan culture in the state, he accused Banerjee of opposing Durga Puja, idol immersion and Hindus, and banning the chanting of ‘Jai Shri Ram’.“The Kolkata high court ordered strict action against those who were openly attacking Durga Puja processions and spreading disorder in Bengal, but the Trinamool govt took no action. I want to make it clear that no one can stop the worship of Maa Kali and Maa Durga on Bengal’s soil, and those who attempt to do so will face street protests. We will not allow Gau Mata to be slaughtered or Hindus to be divided on Bengal’s land,” Yogi said.Comparing Bengal’s condition with UP before it got a BJP govt in 2017, the CM said currently, Bengal is struggling for its identity, industries are shutting down, farmers are not getting fair prices for their produce, youth are not getting employment, and govt employees are not receiving their salaries. Incidents of love jihad and land grabbing are coming to light, he alleged.Against this, UP’s condition was worse but under BJP’s double engine govt, rule of law had been established, and it had set an example of development before the entire country. UP’s bulldozer does not only build roads but also crushes the bones of the mafia, he said.Accusing TMC of leading Bengal into anarchy, the CM said that TMC “goons” would have no place to hide on May 4, the day results are to be declared. In fact, he added, TMC workers are already worried for their future and have started looking for work like puncture repair shops and street sweepers.Highlighting Bengal’s past, Yogi said that at one point, it was a leading state in India’s development, known for its culture, literature and arts. While it gave everything to India, its people at the forefront of the Independence movement, parties like Congress, the Left and TMC had dragged it back. He said that PM Narendra Modi sent funds for Bengal’s development which TMC’s workers had pocketed. Now, the people of Bengal would reject the misrule and anarchy of these parties, he said.In Katwa, Yogi said, BJP candidate Krishna Ghosh would completely eliminate the sand mafia after becoming MLA and nobody would be able to do booth capturing. Funds for development would not be misused, he promised, adding that a railway bridge and a new bridge over the Ganga would also be constructed.“BJP represents a guarantee of security and good governance, and ensures rights, respect, and self-reliance for Dalits, the deprived, the poor and women. With BJP coming to power, world-class infrastructure will be developed, strengthening the nation, and infiltration from Bangladesh will be stopped,” he said.
