On Friday (1st March), Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a public rally in West Bengal’s Arambagh. In his speech, he criticised the ruling Trinamool Congress party (TMC) in the state and its other allies in the I.N.D.I. alliance including Congress. Pointing out the silence of opposition parties over the Sandeshkhali issue, PM Modi said that the opposition parties are behaving like Gandhi’s monkeys over this issue. He said that they have shut their eyes, ears, and mouths when it comes to reacting to this issue.
PM Narendra Modi said, “The country is seeing what Trinamool Congress has done with the sisters of Sandeshkhali. The whole country is angry. The soul of Raja Ram Mohan Roy must have been pained by what happened in Sandeshkhali…the party was protecting the TMC leader and the police had to arrest him yesterday after the BJP leaders exerted pressure on the government.”
He added, “A Trinamool leader crossed all limits…when the mothers and the sisters of Sandeshkhali made their protest louder, sought help from Mamata didi, what did they get in return? Didi and the government did everything to shield the Trinamool leader.”
PM Narendra Modi said, “All the BJP leaders in the state fought a battle day and night. They fought a battle for the dignity of mothers and sisters. They endured the lathi charge. Faced difficulties. It was due to the pressure of the BJP and the power of the people of West Bengal that the West Bengal police yesterday had to arrest the accused (Sheikh Shahjahan). This criminal TMC leader was absconding for almost two months in the TMC regime in this state. There must be someone who would be saving him. Will you forgive such a party TMC? Will you not avenge the atrocities inflicted upon the mothers and sisters? Give a befitting reply to every impact by your votes.”
He added, “Today, the people of Bengal are asking the Chief Minister Didi – is the vote of some people more important than atrocities against women in Sandeshkhali? She should be ashamed of this. My friends from Bengal, I was astonished the most by looking at the other leaders in the I.N.D.I. alliance. Top leaders in the I.N.D.I. alliance have shut their eyes, ears, and mouths when it comes to talking about the Sandeshkhali issue – just like the three monkeys of Gandhi. Patna, Bengaluru, Mumbai – god knows where else they meet together. But tell me, have the leftist parties and Congress ever dared to ask the chief minister and the government of this state about the Sandeshkhali issue?”
He further said, “They did not even have a look at the victim sisters from Sandeshkhali. Do you remember what the national president of the Congress party said? He said, ‘Arey chhoddo, Bengal mein toh yeh sab chalta rheta hai’. Isn’t it an insult to Bengal, its culture and tradition?” (Meaning: Leave it. These things keep happening in Bengal.)
Prime Minister further said, “This is the truth of the I.N.D.I. Alliance bloc. They shield the corrupt, the dynasts and those who believe in appeasement politics. TMC has set a new model of corruption…have you seen the bundles of notes found in TMC leaders’ houses? Have you ever seen that much money even in movies?”
Notably, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said on Tuesday (27th February) while speaking at TV9 Bharatvarsh’s ‘What India Thinks Today’ conclave that such things keep happening in West Bengal and its not relevant for a national debate. He made these remarks when he was asked about what his and the Congress party’s stand is on the Sandeshkhali horror.