Cong, TMC mum on terror attacks under UPA due to fear of vote bank backlash: Shah

Afraid of offending vote banks, Cong and TMC silent when terror struck during UPA rule: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday accused the Congress and the TMC of maintaining stoic silence during terror attacks in the country in the UPA regime as they ''were afraid of offending their vote banks''.

While the 10 years of BJP-led NDA government is characterized by a ''tough stance'' on terror and no compromise on the issue of national security, the Congress-headed UPA regime of which TMC was also an ally was soft on terror, he claimed.

He was addressing a rally at Durgapur in Bardhaman-Durgapur constituency.

''The Congress and TMC because of their vote bank politics didn't utter a word when terror strikes took place in the country during the Congress regime (UPA regime from 2004-2014). The TMC was then part of the Congress government. They were afraid that their vote bank would take offence if they took a tough stance on terror,'' Shah said.

Speaking about the abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, Shah said, "The Communists, TMC and Congress kept Article 370 'preserved' for 70 years." "It made terrorism from Kashmir seep into the entire country. But after Modi Ji came to power, 5 August 2019 saw the historic abrogation of Article 370. Opposition has cared neither for people's safety nor the country's security," he said.

Hitting out at the opposition bloc INDIA on the issue of corruption, Shah said, "The opposition has a track record of corruption, whereas Modi Ji doesn't have even a single such blot throughout his political career." The TMC is synonymous with corruption and cut money culture in West Bengal, he claimed.

While accusing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of allowing infiltration in the bordering state, Shah said the TMC can never stop infiltration in the state.

''Mamata Banerjee and TMC should be ashamed of themselves for allowing infiltration in the bordering state to secure their vote bank,'' he said.

Referring to alleged politics of appeasement by the TMC in Bengal, Shah said invitations for the consecration ceremony were sent to both Mamata Didi and her nephew (Abhishek Banerjee), but they chose not to attend it, ''as they are afraid that infiltrators, who are TMC's vote bank, might get offended.'' ''Invitations for the consecration ceremony were sent to both Mamata didi and her nephew (Abhishek Banerjee), but they did not attend it, as she was afraid that infiltrators, who are her party's vote bank, might get offended,'' he said.

The Union Home Minister said, "Mamata Banerjee should be ashamed of herself for allowing infiltration in the bordering state for the sake of vote bank politics." He said, "Infiltrators form the vote bank of TMC and that is why they are afraid of these infiltrators. Will Durgapur choose those who boycotted Lord Ram just for the sake of its vote bank?'' On the incidents in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district, where allegations of sexual abuse against TMC leaders have emerged, Shah said it is a matter of shame that ''Mamata Banerjee, despite being a woman chief minister, tried to protect the culprits".

"In Sandeshkhali, TMC leaders tortured hundreds of our sisters based on religion. Mamata Didi was not ready to arrest the criminals of Sandeshkhali, he said. Even after the high court's order, the investigation was not done, so the high court handed over the investigation to the CBI, Shah said.

"Whoever has committed atrocities in Sandeshkhali, even if he hides in the underworld, we will find him and put him behind prison bars," he asserted.

On a recent video clip on Sandeshkhali, Shah told Bengali news channel ABP Ananda during a roadshow in Krishnagar that Mamata Banerjee sould first clarify "whether arrested TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh was involved in the crimes or was innocent." A video on social media went viral on Saturday, in which a man, who claimed to be a BJP mandal president in Sandeshkhali, was heard saying that the leader of the opposition in the West Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, was behind the ''whole conspiracy''.

PTI, however, couldn't independently verify the authenticity of the video. Referring to a crude bomb blast in the Pandua area of neighbouring Hooghly district, Shah said, "Corruption and poll violence have become common in Bengal. A bomb blast took place even today. She (Mamata Banerjee) wants to scare people. But such tactics won't yield any results." A teenage boy was killed and two others were injured in a bomb explosion in West Bengal's Hooghly district on Monday morning.

Shah also accused Banerjee of ''misleading'' people about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

''Why is she against refugees obtaining citizenship? She is supporting infiltration in Bengal, but opposes Hindu refugees getting citizenship,'' he said.

The senior BJP leader said the party has set a target of winning 30-plus Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)