Bengal has made up its mind for 'poriborton': PM Modi

KOLKATA,(IANS): Launching a scathing attack on the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal, Prime Minster Narendra Modi said on Monday that the people of the state have made up their mind for a real 'poriborton' (change).
"Bengal has made up its mind for poriborton and the BJP will bring 'aashol poriborton' (real change) in the state," Modi told a large gathering at the Dunlop Estate Village in Kolkata's neighbouring Hooghly district.
He said the jubilant response of the crowd has sent out positive signals to Delhi for a regime change in Bengal.
The Primne Minister said that the lotus brigade would bring 'aashol poribartan' which the young generation of Bengal aims for. "The BJP government should be formed not just for political regime change, but for 'aashol poriborton' in the state," he said.
This was Modi's third visit to poll-bound Bengal in the last one month, during which he criticised the role of the state government over agricultural, health, governance and many other crucial issues.
Ahead of the high-voltage state Assembly polls, Modi on Monday inaugurated a bouquet of railways projects, including the first Metro service in the Noapara and Dakshineswar section. Along with the flag-off ceremony of the much-awaited Metro service between Noapara and Dakshineswar, the Prime Minister also inaugurated the 30-km third line between Kalaikunda and Jhargram.
Besides this, three other railway projects were inaugurated during Modi's visit -- doubling of line between Azimganj and Khagraghat Road, forth line between Dankuni and Baruipara and the third line between Rasulpur and Mogra.
Taking a dig at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Modi said that lakhs of poor people in Bengal have been deprived of the facility to avail free healthcare worth Rs 5 lakh under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
"Such hurdles have been created by Mamata Ji's government between the people of Bengal and development," he said, adding that real change is only possible when there is no politics of extortion.
"We don't want injustice. We want real change... The party which talked about 'Maa-Mati-Manush' is stopping Bengal's development. Those who ruled Bengal have brought it to this current state," the Prime Minister pointed out.
Modi further said that the Centre sent money directly to the accounts of people, but Trinamool 'tolabaaz' (extortionists) took the money for state schemes. This mentality has stopped people from getting the benefits of the Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme," he said, adding that the problem is the 'cut-cut culture'.
Earlier, Trinamool Congress had claimed that the Centre never disbursed funds under the PM-Kisan scheme despite the state having sent a verified list of beneficiaries. The Centre, however, had claimed that it did not receive any such list.