Amit Shah Accuses Mamata Banerjee Of Turning Kolkata Into ‘City Of Slums’
Union Home Minister Amit Shah ignited a political firestorm by accusing Mamata Banerjee's TMC government of transforming Kolkata into a 'city of slums' and exploiting infiltrators for votes, sparking a fierce rebuttal from the ruling party.
Photograph: ANI PhotoKey PointsAmit Shah alleges that Kolkata has become a 'city of slums' under the TMC government due to infiltration.Shah accuses the TMC of using infiltrators as a vote bank and neglecting slum development in Kolkata.The TMC strongly rebuts Shah's claims, accusing him of insulting the people of Bengal and denigrating Kolkata.Shah expresses confidence that the BJP will unseat the TMC in the upcoming West Bengal assembly elections.The exchange highlights the acrimonious campaign in West Bengal, with accusations of infiltration and divisive rhetoric.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday alleged that under the rules of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the erstwhile Left Front government, Kolkata had become a "city of slums" where infiltrators were being settled, drawing a rebuttal from the ruling TMC, which accused him of insulting the people of Bengal.
Addressing an election rally at Dum Dum in the eastern fringes of Kolkata, Shah charged the TMC government with using "infiltrators as a vote bank" and said Kolkata's lost glory needs to be restored.
Shah's Allegations Against TMC Governance
"The whole city, indeed the whole of Bengal, should vote to free itself from infiltrators. Vote to restore Kolkata's lost glory. Under the rules of Didi and (previous) Communists, the entire city has today been turned into a kind of a city of slums (Jhoparpatti ka Sheher)," Shah alleged.
He said several cities across the country were becoming slum-free, but alleged that the TMC government had no interest in such measures.
"There are many cities in the country that are becoming slum-free. But Didi (Mamata Banerjee) does not seem to feel any need for that. She only wants to settle infiltrators in the slums and turn them into her vote bank," Shah alleged.
BJP's Confidence in West Bengal Elections
Stepping up his attack on Banerjee, Shah exuded confidence that the BJP would unseat the TMC in the assembly polls, the first phase of which will be held on Thursday.
"On May 4, counting will begin in the morning. At 8 am, the ballot boxes will start being opened. At 9 am, the first round; at 10 am, the second round; by 1 pm, the counting will be over — and Didi, tata, goodbye. After a long time, good governance is going to begin in Bengal," he said.
TMC's Strong Rebuttal and Counter-Accusations
The remarks sparked strong reactions from the TMC, which accused Shah of denigrating Kolkata and its people.
In a post on X, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) said Kolkata had long been celebrated as the "City of Joy", the "City of Love", the "Cultural Capital of India" and the "Gateway of Eastern India".
"Today, Amit Shah made his contribution to that list. He called Kolkata a city of slums. To Amit Shah, the people who live in this city, who built it, who breathe life into it every single day, are slum-dwellers deserving nothing but his disdain. This is how the BJP sees Bengal. This is how they will treat Bengal if they ever gain a foothold here," the TMC claimed.
The ruling party also described the BJP leadership as "Bangla-birodhi (anti-Bengal) zamindars" and asked, "Can you imagine what comes next if these Bangla-birodhi Zamindars are allowed through the door?"
The exchange added another layer of acrimony to an already-bitter campaign in West Bengal, where the BJP has repeatedly accused the TMC government of encouraging infiltration and appeasement politics, charges the ruling party rejected.
The TMC, in turn, has accused the BJP of insulting Bengal's identity and using divisive rhetoric to polarise voters ahead of the elections.
West Bengal has been a politically charged state, particularly in the lead-up to recent elections, with frequent clashes between the ruling TMC and the BJP. Accusations of corruption, political violence, and communal polarisation have become commonplace in the state's political discourse. The Election Commission of India has often had to intervene to ensure free and fair elections.Disclaimer: News content is sourced from the stated source. Headlines, summaries, section headers, and images are automatically generated or selected using AI/algorithms and may not always be fully accurate. Readers are advised to refer to the full article for complete context.
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