"Mamata Banerjee Won't Stop Infiltration Because Of Vote Bank": Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday saying that the Trinamool Congress supremo does not intend to stop infiltration because the infiltrators who come in are vote bank.

"...Mamata Didi will not stop infiltration because these infiltrators are her vote bank. PM Narendra Modi and the BJP government can stop infiltration in Bengal," Shah said speaking at a public rally in West Bengal's Dakshin Dinajpur.

This marks Amit Shah's first visit to the state after the dates of the election were announced.

Citing the example of Assam where the National Register of Citizens exercise was conducted to determine illegal migrants into the state, the Union Home Minister said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the neighbouring state got rid on infiltration.

"Assam faced a similar problem of infiltration. The people of Assam voted the BJP to power and no one can come into Assam from its borders. We have got rid of the problem of infiltration," Mr Shah said.

Asking people to vote for the BJP so that the party wins 30 out of 42 seats in West Bengal, Shah promised, "I have come to tell you that if you make us cross 30 seats and form a BJP government in Bengal, not even a bird will land here crossing the borders and no infiltrator will come in."

Speaking about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the Rules of which were notified by the central government recently, Shah said that Mamata Banerjee is misleading people on the controversial law.

"I have come to appeal to the people of Bengal with folded hands. We have passed a law called CAA. Mamata Didi is misleading the people of Bengal by saying that if you apply, your citizenship will be lost," the Union Minister said.

Mr Shah further said, "I have come today to tell you that all the refugees who have come should apply without any fear, no case will be filed against anyone. This is the law of Modi government, no one can make any changes in it..."

Lashing out at the Mamata Banerjee government for allegedly welcoming Rohingya migrants into her state, Amit Shah said, "She (Mamata) welcomes infiltrators and Rohingyas in Bengal but is misleading Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhist refugees. You will not be successful. PM Modi has already notified the CAA Rules."

Hitting out at the West Bengal Chief Minister for registering a case against the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for carrying out a raid at Bhupatinagar without informing the local police beforehand, the Union Minister claimed that Banerjee wants to shield the accused.

"There was a bomb blast in Bhupatinagar in 2022, in which 3 people were killed. Tell me whether those who carried out the bomb blasts should be put behind bars or not? The High Court handed over the investigation to the NIA and Mamata Didi wants to save the accused by registering a case against the NIA. Don't worry. The High Court has given the responsibility to the NIA. All the accused will be hanged upside down," Mr Shah said.

Lambasting the Chief Minister for allegedly shielding those who are accused in the Sandshkhali atrocities against women, Shah said that the women in her state have learnt the harsh truth.

"Mamata Didi, you are a woman Chief Minister. I want to ask you one thing. You are doing politics even on a shameful incident like Sandeshkhali. For years, women were being tortured right under your nose and the Trinamool Congress goons kept committing atrocities. When ED went to arrest the accused, stones were pelted at ED. They (TMC) surrendered only when the High Court directed them to do so. You are trying to appease some people just for the sake of votes but all the women of Bengal are seeing this. They know that you are with those who committed atrocities against women in Sandeshkhali," Amit Shah said.

West Bengal will be voting in all the seven phases of the Lok Sabha election starting on April 19. The counting of votes has been scheduled for June 4.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the TMC won 34 seats in the state, while the BJP had to settle for 2 seats. The CPI (M) won 2 seats, while the Congress bagged 4. However, the BJP came up with a much-improved showing in the 2019 polls, winning 18 seats against the TMC's 22. The Congress's tally dropped to just 2 seats, while the Left scored a blank.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)