Jalpaiguri (West Bengal)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on April 5 hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks about atrocities against women and corruption, asserting that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and her government had taken stern action against the culprits involved in alleged sexual abuse of women in Sandeshkhali.
While addressing a rally in Jalpaiguri, Ms. Banerjee said the allegations of corruption against the TMC are "politically motivated" and wondered why Central funds have been stopped despite the Centre sending more than 300 Central teams to supervise the usage of funds.
"Whenever there have been any allegations of corruption, we have taken action and removed that person from the party. But what about the BJP? They have inducted all corrupt and criminals into their party," she said.
Referring to recent incidents in Sandeshkhali, where allegations of sexual abuse against TMC leaders surfaced, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a rally in Cooch Behar, criticised the State government for its alleged apathy towards the victims.
"There have been some incidents in Sandeshkhali, when I came to know about those complaints, I immediately took action against them. I am not like them [the BJP], as they were mute spectators when women wrestlers were harassed by the BJP MP or during the Hathras incident," she said.
"It is a matter of national shame that a person against whom several cases are pending has been appointed as the Minister of State for Home Affairs," she said in an apparent reference to BJP candidate and Union Minister of State for Home Nisith Pramanik who is seeking re-election from Cooch Behar.
Ms. Banerjee said her efforts to provide compensation to the affected population of Jalpaiguri, where a storm had claimed five lives, could not fructify as the BJP had moved the Election Commission of India against it.
"The State administration was supposed to give compensation to the affected people. But the BJP doesn't want that to happen. The BJP themselves don't do anything and neither allows others to do anything," she said.
