Alipurduar, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday dared the BJP government at the centre to transfer as many state police officers they wanted and claimed that the saffron party won’t be able to stop her or her party Trinamool Congress in the coming Lok Sabha elections.
“BJP is saying, change all the important officers. But first they have to change me. (It does not matter) if more good officers are changed as instructed by the BJP. Whoever comes in their place is also my officer,” Banerjee said at a public rally in Barobhisa in Alipurduar district.
“They hold so much grudge against me. The more you (Centre) try to stop me, the more I will go ahead. You won’t be able to do anything,” she said.
Banerjee’s comments came a day after the Election Commission removed Kolkata Police Commissioner Anuj Sharma, his counterpart in the Bidhannagar Commissionerate Gyanwant Singh and two Superintendents of Police — Shyam Singh of Birbhum and P.S. Selvamurugan of Diamond Harbour police district.
Banerjee, who also holds the portfolio of Home and Hill Affairs in the state, urged the central forces to work together with the state police personnel.
“I welcome the central force. All of you should be working together with the state force. No one should think that the central force belongs to the BJP. We also have very important forces in our hands,” she said.
Bringing up the issues faced by the tea garden workers in the region, Banerjee said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has failed to keep his promise of re-opening the closed tea gardens or providing economic stability to the tea labourers.
She also said that her government will not allow the BJP to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in West Bengal by any means.
“NRC is being imposed by the BJP in Assam. They are excluding Bengalis and even Hindus. Chasing away Bengalis is not that easy. We will not allow it. In the Citizenship Amendment Bill, they talk about giving citizenship after six years. But what will the families do during that period,” she asked.
In her next rally in the district’s Kalchini area, the Trinamool Congress supremo accused the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of doling out cash to the poor people in north Bengal before elections.
She told the people to take the cash if needed as it was “common man’s money”, but not give a single vote to the saffron outfit.
“They (BJP) are coming here and doling out cash before the elections. Do not give a single vote to the BJP because they want to buy off your pride and democratic rights by giving cash,” she said.
“Modi used to say he was a ‘Chaiwala’ (tea seller). Now he has forgotten all that. He promised to deposit Rs 15 lakh in every person’s account, but he forgot that too. He looted all of you,” Banerjee said.
Accusing the BJP candidate from Alipurduar John Barla of being involved in instigating unrest and clashes in the area, Banerjee aksed people to vote for Trinamool candidate Dasrath Tirkey and assured that he would never do anything against the interest of the local people.
“John Barla was involved in instigating riots in the Dooars region. Could BJP not get a better candidate? They have made a rioter their candidate. Do not vote for him. Do not vote for a party that causes riots and creates trouble.
“Our candidate Dasrath Tirkey is a tea garden labourer. He will never work against you people. Even if he tries to go against you, I will not let him. All of us are working together,” Banerjee added.
