Mamata Banerjee’s ‘Corona Express’ remark will cause TMC’s exit: Amit Shah at BJP’s virtual Bengal rally

Addressing party leaders and workers from a virtual rally, Shah also took a jibe at Banerjee, for asking the Centre to take over the state government if it was not satisfied with its performance, and said her wish will be fulfilled in next year's Assembly polls.




Virtually kick-starting BJP’s campaign in West Bengal ahead of crucial 2021 Assembly polls, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday targeted chief minister Mamata Banerjee over blocking Centre’s schemes to the people of the state, Shramik Special trains, her opposition to CAA and rising incidents of political violence.

Addressing party leaders and workers from a virtual rally, Shah also took a jibe at Banerjee, for asking the Centre to take over the state government if it was not satisfied with its performance, and said her wish will be fulfilled in next year’s Assembly polls.

During the rally, Shah said Mamata Banerjee has “insulted” migrants by calling ‘Shramik Special’ trains carrying them to Bengal during the lockdown as “Corona Express”. “Mamata Ji, you referred to Shramik Special Trains as ‘Corona Express’. The name that you have given, ‘Corona Express’ will become an exit express for TMC. You’ve insulted migrant workers, you’ve rubbed salt into their wounds and they will not forget it,” news agency PTI reported.

The Union Home Minister also asked Banerjee to give details of her government’s performance in the last 10 years. He also accused the Mamata Banerjee government of not sending the list of farmers for Krishak Samman Nidhi Yojana, therefore depriving them of the Centre’s financial assistance.

Targeting Mamata Banerjee over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Shah said her opposition to the Centre’s act will turn her into a “political refugee” in Bengal. “She opposed the act in Parliament, roads and took out rallies. I want to ask her whether the people belonging to Matua and Namasudra communities and Bengali brothers from Bangladesh have caused any harm to her. Why are you opposing their right to get citizenship? She must come out clean about her opposition to the act. I want to tell you that your opposition to CAA will cost you a lot when people of the state will turn you into a political refugee in Bengal,” said Shah.

Slamming Banerjee for not allowing Centre’s Ayushman Bharat Yojana in Bengal, Shah said, “About 50 crore people in the country benefitted from Modi ji’s Ayushman Bharat Yojana. The central government is bearing the cost of medical treatment of Rs 5 lakh for each individual. But people of Bengal do not get this benefit as Mamata Banerjee did not implement it fearing that Modi ji’s popularity will rise in Bengal. I want to ask Mamata didi whether the poor in Bengal have the right to go for medical treatment or not. Why are they being deprived of Ayushman Bharat Yojana? Politics can be done on a lot of issues. But why are you stopping people from exercising their right?”

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The Union Home Minister said that the entire country and even Arvind Kejriwal’s government in Delhi implemented Ayushman Bharat Yojana. “I want to assure the people of Bengal that let elections get over and once our chief minister is elected, we will implement Ayushman Bharat Yojana in one minute,” he said.

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