Balurghat:Defence Minister Rajnath Singh along with Union textiles minister Smriti Irani on Friday countered West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, a day after she was seen riding pillion on an electric scooter to work.
Replying to Mamata's 'Khela Hobe' challenge to BJP, Singh while addressing a rally in the Balurghat constituency of West Bengal's Dakshin Dinajpur district, said that the state will witness 'Khela' of development and peace soon if people vote the party to power.
Smriti Irani on the other hand led a rally of the BJP's 'Poriborton Yatra' riding a scooter along with BJP MP Roopa Ganguly and Agnimitra Paul near Gangajoara a day after Didi took to the streets, riding an e-scooter to protest against the steep price rise of petrol and diesel.
Smriti Irani leads Poriborton Yatra riding a two-wheeler Also read:'Majboot PM' ensures that if he promises 100 paise to people, it reaches them: Rajnath Singh
Meanwhile, BJP has started its two-day 'Poriborton Yatra' in the South Dinajpur district from Friday, which was inaugurated by Rajnath Singh.
Addressing his first rally in the poll-bound state this season, Singh was not aggressive like other BJP heavyweights and his criticisms about Trinamool Congress and Mamata Banerjee were coated with extreme politeness and free of aggression.
The minister also spoke in Bengali and kept asking his fellow speakers whether his pronunciations were perfect or not.
"The NDA government has given more money to the West Bengal government under Mamata Banerjee than what the earlier Congress-led UPA government had. However, even after that the chief minister always criticizes the Union government," he said.
Spelling out a popular Bengal proverb he said that the chief minister is only busy in finding faults with the Union government.
He also said that barbed fencing at the Indo-Bangladesh border area in West Bengal could not be completed because of the non-cooperation from the Union government.
"If the lotus blooms in West Bengal after the polls, the work of fencing would be surely completed. It will effectively curb illegal immigration and cow smuggling," he said.
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He said that the neighbouring countries of India are mainly Muslim dominated and so the religious minorities from those countries are taking refuge in India. However, at the same time, he said if the BJP comes to power their government will be for all and not for any particular community.
The BJP-led Central government has been attacking the TMC govt in West Bengal for non-implementation of central schemes. While promising that change will come to the state, the union minister promised toilets to every household, cylinders in the kitchens of the poor people, money in banks of farmers and construction of roads and highways.
(With inputs from agencies)
