A day before the first phase of polling in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday stepped up his attacks on his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee, alleging she wanted to erase Bengal’s identity.
Without directly naming Mamata Banerjee or her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, Adityanath said, “Bua bhatija dono Bengal ke astitva ko khatm karna chahte hain (the aunt-nephew duo wants to erase the identity of Bengal). He said no one would be allowed to tamper with the identity of Bengal.
He accused the Kolkata mayor (without naming him) of favouring Urdu there and asserted that Bengali will be spoken in Bengal, and through Bengali culture, India will reach new heights.
Adityanath appealed to voters to teach the TMC a lesson for playing with West Bengal’s identity. “The first phase of elections is scheduled for April 23, and the public’s desire for change is clearly visible.”
He claimed that BJP is set to win 80% of the seats in the first phase. When the results are declared on May 4, the saffron flag will be hoisted across Bengal, he said.
He was addressing poll meetings in the Jorasanko, Nadia and Howrah assembly constituencies of West Bengal.
As he spoke at the public meetings, the people were seen holding posters reading, “Yogiji, bring the bulldozer. We are with you.”
He said the identity of Bengal is not identified with Kaaba and instead it was synonymous with Maa Kali. He referred to a TMC leader’s alleged remarks, “Dil mein Kaaba aur nayan mein Madina,” and said people would not accept such sentiments.
He urged voters, who braved the scorching sun, to use their vote wisely. He raised slogans saying the darkness in Bengal will end and the state will re-establish itself as ‘Sonar Bangla’ and “Ebaar khela shesh (this time, the game will end).”
He said, “Bengal has made an unparalleled contribution to nation-building through the sacrifice, dedication, and efforts of great personalities born on its soil.”
Referring to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s ancestral home, he said that Tagore’s Gitanjali was the first Indian literary work to win the Nobel Prize. He alleged that TMC workers forcibly installed Mamata Banerjee’s photo at the heritage site where portraits of Rabindranath Tagore and Bharat Mata should have been displayed.
He said this was an insult to Indian values and Bengal’s identity.
He said TMC rule was pushing West Bengal towards poverty. The land of knowledge is now struggling in the darkness of unemployment, he said. He alleged Mamata Banerjee is irritated by the name of Lord Ram and claimed that Durga Puja is not permitted, processions are restricted, and curfews are imposed during festivals.
“Bengal now stands at the threshold of change,” he said.
“Like Uttar Pradesh, the formation of a double-engine government in Bengal would mark the beginning of a new phase of development, security, and cultural revival.”
“Nadia symbolises India’s spiritual heritage. Just as Kashi holds importance in North India, Nabadwip and Nadia have a distinct identity in Eastern India,” he said, adding that Mahakali resides in the hearts of Nadia’s people, and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in their vision, to carry forward the Vaishnav tradition to every household.
He said Bengal gave India its national anthem through Rabindranath Tagore and the national song through Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. West Bengal must be freed from the grip of Trinamool, Congress, and Communists, who, according to him, have turned it into a hub of hooliganism and mafia rule, he asserted.
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