West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday slammed the NarendraModi government saying that its constant “torture and violence” on the locals had turned Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) into a “burning fire pit”.
“Terrorism has increased by 260 per cent under the Modiregime. Kashmir has turned into a burning fire pit. The situation there hasbecome more volatile due to continuous torture and violence on people,”Banerjee told an election rally in Salkia area of Howrah district.
She claimed that her government successfully tackled the”Maoist problem” in the insurgency-prone Jangalmahal (vast forestedstretches mainly in Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapore districts) in Bengal.”You all know about Jangalmahal area in Bengal. It was a den of theMaoists. So many people used to get killed in attacks every year. But since ourgovernment came to power, not a single case of murder has happened there in thelast five years.
“Modibabu’s party runs the government in Jharkhand.They also had governments in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh for more than 10years. Have they been able to neutralise the Maoists there? No, it has nothappened yet. But Jangalmahal in Bengal is now peaceful. There is no unrest. Wehave successfully tackled the Maoist problem,” she said.
The TMC supremo hit out at the Election Commission (EC)alleging that there was no need to stretch the LokSabha elections to sevenphases and that it was done to help the BJP. “It is causing inconvenienceto common people. But it has been done so that the BJP leaders can reach allthe places,” she said.
Accusing the BJP of spending crores of rupees in itselection campaign, Banerjee said the party in power at the Centre is spendingthe money it has looted from the country in the last five years.
“Our party can afford to rent only a couple ofhelicopters for campaigning. We do not have the money to rent 100 helicopters.But the BJP is surpassing all records of spending on election campaign. Ifelections are held on the basis of money then democracy will be lost,” shesaid.