A day after joining BJP, former TMC leaders Rajib Banerjee, Baishali Dalmiya, Prabir Ghoshal, Rathin Chakraborti and actor Rudranil Ghosh shared the stage with Union Minister Smriti Irani, BJP leaders Dilip Ghosh and Kailash Vijayvargiya at Dumurjala stadium in Howrah on Sunday.
On Saturday, the leaders joined the BJP at Amit Shah’s residence in New Delhi.
Smriti Irani is in Howarh to address a rally. She is filling in for Union home minister Amit Shah who cancelled his West Bengal visit following a minor blast near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi.
While addressing the rally, Irani took a dig at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her refusal to speak at Netaji’s birth anniversary event after “Jai Shree Ram” slogans were raised.
“People will not support a political party which makes them fight among themselves & hates the Central govt for its own profit. No patriot can stay for even a single minute in a party which insults the slogan of ‘Jai Shri Ram,” Irani said.
Irani also accused TMC of looting rice and dal that was given to people by PM Modi.
“Prime Minister provided five kg rice and one kg dal for 80 crore people of the country for eight months; in Bengal TMC looted it during lockdown,” she said.
Meanwhile, during Sunday’s rally Suvendu Adhikari, who quit TMC and joined BJP in December 2020, said, “Trinamool Congress is no longer a party but a private limited company. By February 28, TMC private limited company will be vacated, nobody will be left there.”
Rajib Banerjee too spoke at the rally and said he wanted BJP in both the Centre and State.
“We want double engine government in West Bengal. We want Bharatiya Janata Party government at both the Centre and State for Sonar Bangla,” he said.
Amit Shah also addressed the rally through video conferencing and said the Mamata Banerjee “will soon find herself alone.”
“Mamata Banerjee has taken West Bengal backwards in every sphere. People of the State will never forgive her. While Modi govt is working towards ‘jan kalyan’ (serving people), Mamata Banerjee govt working towards ‘bhatija kalyan” (serving her nephew) in Bengal,” Shah said, ANI reported.
“Leaders of Trinamool Congress & other parties are joining Bharatiya Janata Party. Mamata di will find herself alone by the time election happens. She has done injustice to people of State,” he added.
