Third Parivartan Yatra: BJP’s Nadda Gives Another Push To Woo West Bengal

Kolkata: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda flagged off the third phase of Parivartan Yatra in Jhargram on Tuesday and said the almost decade-old anarchic rule of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) should be thrown out.

In a more than two-hour-long event at Lalgarh in Jangalmahal, Nadda spent half-an-hour to impress upon the mostly tribal people how the BJP will bring about change in the district, which has been one of the most neglected in the state.

Rebutting the ruling party members, who have been constantly harping on the word “bohiragoto” meaning outsiders to describe BJP leaders like Nadda and general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, the party president invoked Bengal icons like Swami Vivekanda, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and Rishi Aurobindo. Describing Bengal as a land of the greats and people like Jana Sangha founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee, who fought for one constitution, one flag, Nadda said the land has given direction to the nation. “Keeping the promise of SP Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi abrogated Article 370 in Kashmir,” said the national president.

“I had inaugurated this yatra on January 6 from Nabadwip. This is the third instance when the yatra is being launched by me. We need change and I’m committed to it. Whatever progress there has been in the state by the Centre, Mamata has always tried to create hindrances in its way. She has misled the people. TMC’s contribution to the state has been authoritarianism, ‘tolabaji’ (extortion) and appeasement,” Nadda said.

Repeating mostly what he had said in his earlier speeches, Nadda once again reminded people how around 130 party workers have lost their lives. “Mamata talks of women’s safety and the records say that maximum human trafficking takes place from Bengal. Maximum acid attacks and most attempts at murders have also been attributed to the state,” he said.

On the appeasement politics of the Mamata-led government, Nadda reminded people how the processions for Saraswati or Durga Puja were stopped for Muharram. “Both the festivals are of equal importance but giving preference to one over the other is not proper. She imposed a curfew in the state on the day the foundation-laying ceremony of Ram Janmbhoomi was being laid.”

He proclaimed, “In May, there will be a change, the lotus will bloom.”

He alluded to the pishi-bhipo (aunt-nephew) nexus in destroying the state. “Bhaipo does not even know how to preserve the culture of the state. The PM had provided the state with Rs 2,775cr for cyclone Amphan and the money was pocketed by the party leaders,” he said.

He also talked of the central schemes like Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nishi not being implemented in the state. “We will do that after we come to power,” he promised.

The rally was also attended by former journalist and MP Swapan Dasgupta, leaders like Rahul Sinha, UP deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya, National IT team in-charge and Bengal co-observer Amit Malviya and recently-inducted leader from TMC, Sivendu Adhikari. Former cop and BJP leader Bharati Ghosh was also present.