April 19, 2014
Congress MPs forget the people of Maldah after elections and enjoy Dilli ka laddoo: Didi at Englishbazar
Trinamool Chairperson Ms. Mamata Banerjee today urged the people of Maldah to bring about poriborton in the district. She said that Congress has let the people of Maldah down. She also said that the Congress and CPI(M) had an understanding; while the Left helps Congress win Lok Sabha elections, the latter returns the favour during Vidhan Sabha elections.
Excerpts from the Chairperson`s speech:
I welcome you all who are present here. You have been waiting for long for this meeting. I wish you all Subho Noboborsho. This year the Lok Sabha election is of utmost importance. You will be voting to elect a government at the Centre. Congress has been winning from Maldah in successive elections. But they have not done anything for the district. I have immense respect for Barkat Da. He has done a lot for the people here. Not his successors.
In 2011 Assembly Elections, we had a coalition with Congress. We helped them win in the seats they were fighting in. But the Congress betrayed us. That day I decided to fight alone and take revenge of this betrayal through ballots.
I have rushed to Maldah and Murshidabad whenever people have been in distress. Where were the local Congress leaders then? We have witnessed the reign of terror under the Left when people were tortured and killed. I will never forget the horrors in Maldah. I have visited these areas.
In the past we have allied with Congress and NDA. This time we are fighting alone. In the 2011 elections, had it not been Trinamool Congress, the Left could not have been defeated. We formed Trinamool Congress in 1998. Congress would never have been able to bring a change. Congress and Left are together. In Lok Sabha elections, Left helps Congress win. In Vidhan Sabha, Congress returns the favour.
Congress leaders are criticizing us. They have been MPs here for quite some time. They get elected, forget the people, go to Delhi and enjoy Dilli ka laddoo and forget Malda`s aam and aamsotto. Whenever the election comes, they come back to their areas and say that all the developmental work has been done by them.
Why are the Congress leaders silent on the financial deprivation by Centre for the last three years? Left incurred debts during their rule and now Centre is taking away all our money. The money taken away could have been utilized to provide employment to 20 lakh people, construct roads, schools, universities and what not? The more we increased our revenue, the Centre took away more money. Why is the Centre behaving arrogantly? They want to starve us.
How does the Congress expect people of Bengal to vote for them after neglecting the State? They have looted the country. And they behave as if they are running the show here. After independence, Congress has ruled India for the most number of years. They have destroyed the country. We should ask them whether they have any shame after selling the country.
It is now time to reject both Congress and CPI(M). Vote for development. Vote for us. BJP-Congress-CPI(M) have formed an understanding to divide the votes. We all saw how Congress and BJP came together to pass the Telangana Bill. We believe in working for the people. We can never betray their trust.
Is there any question among you regarding the transparency, credibility, honesty or accountability of the Trinamool Congress? Trinamool does not need money from chit funds to run our party. Chit funds started flourishing in Bengal when CPI(M) was in power. Why did the SEBI and RBI not act against chit funds earlier? It is during our rule that chit fund owners have gone to jail. We have even arrested our own MP. We returned money to 6 lakh people though it was not our responsibility to do so.
Why did certain sections of the media run ads for chit funds? Several events organized by some media houses were sponsored by chit funds. Are they not equally guilty? Trinamool Congress does not need the backing of media houses to win elections. We passed a bill to regulate chit funds and sent it to the Centre for clearance. They sent it back as it was election season.
Congress has sold the country through scams and price rise. Only we protest against them. I will protest for the sake of the people as long as I am alive. Let the Opposition carry out as many malicious campaigns as they want. I am not afraid. Opposition is hatching conspiracies to kill me and pass it on as accident. But God is protecting me.
I fight for the people of Bengal. People of Bengal will judge the actions of the Opposition. They will speak through ballots, not bullets. Bengal will teach the Centre a lesson. Centre will be dependent on us, not the other way round.
We are setting up ITIs, polytechnic colleges, multi super specialty hospitals, revamping Maldah Medical College, setting up Kisan Bazars. We have already developed a branch Secretariat in Siliguri. Another one will come up at Maldah. Maldah’s mangoes, aamsatto, Tulaupunji rice are being sold across the globe through Biswa Bangla store.
If you give me a chance, I will come again. Our candidates in Maldah are Soumitra Roy and Dr. Moazzem Hossain. I urge you all to vote against BJP-Congress-CPI(M) on 24th April.
