West Bengal most important state in Modi's mission for eastern India: PM

Kolkata, May 12 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that West Bengal is the most important state in Modi’s mission for eastern India.

“Despite huge potential, eastern India has always remained neglected by the previous government. Eastern India has all the potential to become the growth engine for ‘Viksit Bharat’. West Bengal is the most important state in Modi’s mission for eastern India,” the Prime Minister said while addressing an election meeting at Barrackpore Lok Sabha in support of the sitting MP and the party candidate Arjun Singh.

On closed industries of Barrackpore, Prime Minister Modi said: “Barrackpore was once known as the economic backbone of West Bengal. Now this area has become a hub of corruption for Trinamool leaders.”

On the Sandeshkhali controversy, PM Modi said: “A new game is going on in Sandeshkhali now. The Trinamool ‘goons’ are threatening the protesting women to withdraw their complaints because the name of the principal accused is Sheikh Shahjahan. Trinamool wants to give him a clean chit. Since the beginning, the ruling party has tried to protect him,” the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister also announced a five-point guarantee if he is voted back for a third consecutive term.

“First, under no circumstances, I will allow religion-based reservation. Second, the existing reservation for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and the other backward classes will continue. Third, no one will be able to stop the Ram Navami celebration in the entire country including West Bengal. Fourth, no one will be able to amend the Supreme Court’s existing order on Ram Mandir. Fifth, the Citizenship Amendment Act will be implemented,” the Prime Minister said.

He said that Congress, Trinamool Congress and the other allies in the opposition INDIA bloc have surrendered to illegal infiltrators.

“That is exactly why they are giving the call for ‘vote-jihad’ against Modi,” the Prime Minister said.