Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that he was exploring legal measures to ensure that nearly ₹3,000 crore “looted” from poor people in West Bengal and attached by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is returned to the people.
The Prime Minister made these remarks while speaking to Krishnanagar BJP candidate Amrita Roy over the telephone. “In a phone call with Rajmata Amrita Roy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he is exploring legal options to ensure that the money looted from the poor goes back to them through whatever assets and money ED has attached from the corrupt,” a BJP leader said.
In the telephone conversation, the Prime Minister told the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate to tell the people about the conversation she had with the Prime Minister.
Expressing hope that the people of the State will vote for his party Mr. Modi said, “On one hand, BJP is committed to uprooting corruption in the country and on the other hand, all the corrupt have come together to save each other.”
The Trinamool Congress leadership objected to the remarks of the Prime Minister and said that the proposal to return money to the people was a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said that the Prime Minister cannot announce any policy decisions when the Model Code of Conduct is in place. The Trinamool leader also added that the Prime Minister was commenting on cases which are sub judice.
This was the second occasion when the Prime Minister had dialled a BJP candidate in West Bengal. On Tuesday, he spoke to BJP candidate Basirhat Rekha Patra, who hails from Sandeshkhali, and called her a symbol of Shakti.
At Krishnanagar, the BJP has fielded Amrita Roy, who hails from the family of Nadia Royal family. She is pitted against Mahua Mitra of the Trinamool Congress. Amidst reports that the Enforcement Directorate has summoned Ms. Moitra, the Trinamool Congress leadership came to her defence and said that these summons were part of political vendetta.
“First they expelled her from Parliament without giving her a fair chance and now agencies are issuing summons to her. Mohua will win elections whatever tricks the BJP might,” Trinamool Congress spokesperson Sukhendu Sekhar Roy said.
