Abki Baar, Phir Se Haar: Trinamool On Amit Shah's 35 Seat Target For Bengal

Soon after Union Home Minister Amit Shah's scathing attack on the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government, the Trinamool Congress shot back with a lengthy rebuttal. Mr Shah had at a rally in the Birbhum district praised the Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari for leading the fight in the Assembly against the state government. The TMC hit back with a 'kingpin of all things illegal' jibe.

"The people of Bengal gave us 77 seats, and this is a huge responsibility for the BJP. In the Vidhan Sabha, along with our MLAs, our leader Suvendu Adhikari is fighting against Didi's Dadagiri with full strength. He is exposing Didi's corruption. And because the BJP is fighting in Bengal, the cow smuggler, your local leader here, has been put behind bars," Amit Shah said, referring to Anubrata Mondal, who was recently jailed in a cattle smuggling case.

With a "washing machine politics" jibe, the Trinamool Congress slammed the BJP, pointing to several scams Mr Adhikari has been accused of. 

"Amit Shah claimed that Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, was leading the fight against the Bengal government's alleged corruption. However, it is Suvendu Adhikari, himself, who is embroiled in controversies galore. From being implicated in Saradha scam to being involved in recruitment irregularities, Adhikari is the kingpin of all things illegal in Bengal. Such is the magnitude of his crimes that Adhikari has been seen on video taking money in the Narada sting operation. Yet, Adhikari remains active in BJP's 'washing machine' politics."

Amit Shah also set a target of 35 seats for the BJP and said, "Along with 77 seats, you gave 38% votes. I have come to tell the people of Bengal, that in the 2024 elections do the rest and give the BJP more than 35 seats in Bengal and make Modiji the Prime Minister."

The Home Minister then raised the issue of violence, infiltration, and cow smuggling in the state, claiming that voting his party to power in the state was the only way to check these crimes.

"This Didi and Bhatija's (Trinamool National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee) misrule, isn't it misrule? And the only way to remove this misrule is the BJP. Bengal has to be freed of terror and the only way to do it is to choose BJP. Do you want infiltration in Bengal? The only way to stop infiltration is the BJP. Do you want cow-smuggling in Bengal? In Assam, both infiltration and cow smuggling has stopped as the BJP has formed government there," Amit Shah said.

Mr Shah further said the Mamata Banerjee government "will be finished" before the 2025 Assembly elections if the BJP gets 35 out of the state's 42 Lok Sabha seats. He also mentioned the recent violence during Ram Navami, blaming it on the "appeasement politics" of Mamata Banerjee.

"Just make the Lotus bloom once in Bengal and there will be no bomb blasts and there won't be any attacks on Ram Navami processions here, there won't be torture, there won't be infiltration and there won't be cow smuggling. The only way to get rid of the kind of corruption going on in Bengal is the Bharatiya Janata Party," he said.

"There were attacks on Ram Navami processions in Rishra and Howrah. I want to ask you, in Bengal, should Ram Navami processions be taken out or not? If Ram Navami processions can't be taken out peacefully in Bengal, then how will we function? Because of the appeasement politics of the Trinamool Congress, this has been encouraged. I want to assure you, just once give Modiji 35 seats in the Lok Sabha elections in Bengal, form a BJP government here and no one will have the guts to attack a Ram Navami procession in Bengal," Amit Shah further said.

The TMC responded sharply to Amit Shah's attack. In a statement, the party said, "At his public meeting in Birbhum, Shah said that the Bengal government was blocking Ram Navami processions. Yet, he chose to remain mum as to why BJP workers were brandishing guns and swords at these rallies. Shah remained silent on BJP's links with accused Sumit Shaw, who was arrested by Howrah Police from Bihar's Munger."

The TMC said Mr Shah's claim of "finishing" the democratically elected Bengal government revealed a "conspiracy" against the state. 

"Shah's claims of toppling the government are concerning as being the Home Minister, he has accepted that a conspiracy is being hatched against Bengal," the Trinamool Congress responded, reiterating its charge that there was a conspiracy against Bengal.

Bengal's ruling party also taunted Mr Shah for his failed prediction during the 2021 Assembly elections.

"Regarding his claims of 35 seats for BJP from Bengal, it was Shah who had infamously said 'Abki Baar 200 Paar' before the 2021 Bengal Elections. By the end, BJP could not even muster a three-digit score. The same would follow suit in the upcoming Panchayat Elections and the subsequent General Elections," the Trinamool Congress said.