‘Why are Hindus second-class citizens in Bengal?’: PM Modi attacks TMC

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday attacked the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal while addressing back-to-back rallies, saying that the party “indulges in corruption and politics of appeasement”. PM Modi further alleged that the TMC has turned Hindus into “second-class citizens” in West Bengal.
While addressing rallies in Bardhaman-Durgapur and Krishnanagar on May 3, the prime minister slammed the TMC government for having “apathy” towards the victims in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas, where allegations of sexual abuse against leaders of the ruling party have surfaced.
PM Modi said, “The state government, due to its appeasement politics, didn’t touch the main accused in the Sandeshkhali case as his name is Shajahan Sheikh. So many atrocities were committed against women there, and the entire country wanted punishment for the culprits. But, the TMC kept protecting the main accused till the end.”
He further questioned why Hindus as being treated as “second class citizens” in Bengal, referring to the reported remarks TMC MLA Humayun Kabir on “throwing Hindus in the Bhagirathi River.”
“Why have Hindus become second-class citizens in Bengal… An MLA of TMC gave a statement recently that they will throw Hindus in the Bhagirathi River. What kind of politics is this? Is appeasement more important than humanity for the TMC?,” the prime minister said on Friday.
On the recent seizure of arms and ammunition from Sandeshkhali during a raid, Modi wondered whether the weapons were meant for “strengthening democracy” in the state.
Last month, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the arms and ammunition seized from a house in Sandeshkhali by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) were planted by the central agencies.
The TMC supremo said that the CBI raid was “staged” by the central government in an effort to discredit the government of West Bengal amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
While addressing an election rally on April 27, Mamata Banerjee said, “Nobody knows where it was recovered from. Maybe, it was brought from their own (CBI) car and presented as recovered items. There is no evidence to show it was found there.”
(With inputs from PTI)