“The country has a 'tukde-tukde' (balkanisation) gang, and it threatened to cut off the Siliguri Corridor," PM Narendra Modi alleged at an election rally in Siliguri.
He further said: "They wanted to separate the Northeast from the country. TMC, which indulges in appeasement politics, supports such people from the streets to Parliament. That is the real face of TMC".
On the Roadshow in the town, he tweeted:
"This roadshow in Siliguri was extremely memorable, spanning 15 kilometers in length.
It proves just how much resonance the BJP's development agenda is generating across West Bengal. Apart from loot and intimidation, the Trinamool has nothing else to offer. And, all their games have now been exposed!
On Saturday in another rally, Prime Minister referred to the popularity of football in Bengal and criticised the Trinamool government for the mismanagement at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata during the visit of iconic footballer Lionel Messi in December.
“People across the world witnessed the shameful incident that happened in Calcutta. The leaders and ministers of the TMC have even handed over football to syndicates,” said Modi.
The Siliguri Corridor, known as the ‘Chicken’s Neck’, connects mainland India to the Northeast. It is about 20–22 km wide at its narrowest point and sits close to Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and the China border.
The attack on TMC is serious as politics in West Bengal are also linked to concerns around national security.
Addressing the meeting at Kawakhali ground, Modi said the narrow stretch in north Bengal holds strategic importance for the country.
Modi called it “the nation's corridor of defence as well as prosperity” and said the Centre is working on infrastructure projects in the region, including the Sevoke-Rangpo railway line that will link Sikkim with Siliguri.
“The project will not only ensure rail connectivity between Bengal and Sikkim, but it will also strengthen trade and tourism in the region, whose direct benefit can be reaped by the youth of Darjeeling,” he said.
He asked voters to back a ‘double engine’ government, saying development would move faster if the BJP comes to power in the state. The Prime Minister also raised questions over state spending and governance.
“While the Mamata Banerjee government has allotted Rs 6,000 crore for Madrasa development in its state budget, its fund allotment for the entire north Bengal region is nowhere sufficient.”
He added that central schemes had not been fully implemented in the state. “The TMC has destroyed the state during its 15-year tenure and halted implementation of central schemes like the one for providing piped drinking water to remote tribal areas, as a result of which less than 25 per cent of work could be completed.”
Calling the state government “nirmam”, he also spoke about difficulties in north Bengal’s tea garden belt.
He referred to illegal infiltration and said, “It will be too late if the infiltration menace is not stopped right away.
'Kamal khilao, ghuspetia bhagao' (vote for lotus and drive infiltrators away).”
Modi also spoke about the response he received during his visit to the region.
The Prime Minister was campaigning for BJP candidates in Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts, where polling will be held in the first phase on April 23.
“The excitement and energy I witnessed among the people in the last few days has convinced me that TMC's exit is fixed. My travel from the Badgodra airport to the hotel on Saturday turned out to be a 15-km road show as thousands of people, from children to senior citizens, had gathered. It blew my mind and humbled me with respect for you,” he said.
“As a return gift to the blessings you have showered on me, I promise to dedicate my life to you and will keep fighting for you till my last breath ..... The people of Bengal are now seeking answers from the TMC for every moment it spent in power over the last 15 years,” he said.
On Saturday PM Modi broached the Mamata Banerjee government’s alleged non-cooperation with President Droupadi Murmu during her recent visit to the Siliguri subdivision and accused the Trinamool Congress of demeaning the stature of the adivasi community.
“We are constantly trying for rapid development in the tribal areas. The tribal community was facing the problem of Maoist terrorism, and we have managed to free them from it. The (tribal) mothers are blessing us as their sons have returned home after years,” Modi said at Kushmandi in South Dinajpur.
Referring to President Murmu’s visit to the Siliguri subdivision last month, Modi said:
“The President was here to attend a conference of the Santhal Samaj (community). At that time, the TMC did not uphold the dignity of the Indian Constitution and demeaned the stature of the tribal community.
It has, in fact, insulted the mothers and sisters and the tribal community.”
In March the President, who belongs to the Santhal community, had alleged that the Bengal government and the chief minister had resorted to non-cooperation to foil her visit. Mamata said Murmu should not push the BJP’s narrative.
In Bengal, 16 Assembly seats are reserved for the Scheduled Tribes. In 2021, the BJP won seven of those seats while Trinamool bagged the remaining nine.
ends
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