Kolkata, Nov. 2 -- BJP national president Nitin Nabin and West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari turned up the political pitch at the "Save Democracy, End Anarchy" rally in Kolkata on Monday, calling on party workers to secure victories in every election.
Taking aim at the Congress and its INDIA bloc allies, they questioned Sunday's protest in Delhi against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Speaking at the rally, Nabin said: "We have to teach a lesson to those for whom the party comes first and the nation comes last. We ended the Trinamool Congress regime in West Bengal." Nabin also trained his guns on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
"People of INDI bloc, who were defeated in their respective states, gathered in Delhi to cry. The manner in which TMC was wiped out in Bengal, Congress and AAP were wiped out in Delhi. In Bihar too, RJD was completely wiped out. Now, it is Uttar Pradesh's turn; we defeated Akhilesh Yadav earlier, and we will defeat him in 2027 too. Such people with anarchist mindsets are led by Rahul Gandhi," Nabin said.
"We won the 2024 (Lok Sabha) polls because Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated himself to eradicating poverty, which the Congress couldn't. Indira Gandhi learnt from her defeat. You (Rahul Gandhi) should learn it too. After being thrown out of power by the people, you have become the toolkit of foreign forces," Nabin added.
"Rahul Gandhi will get the credit for putting an end to the Congress. You are making false allegations about the SIR and EVMs (electronic voting machines) because you want to contest polls relying on infiltrators and dead voters," Nabin added. Nabin also stated that the state has already rejected what he termed 'anarchy' by voting the Trinamool Congress out of power in the assembly elections.
Nabin further accused Rahul of being part of a "toolkit of foreign forces trying to destabilise India". "Rahul has no vision; he will be responsible for Congress's wipeout. Rahul spoke against the misrule of Mamata Banerjee regime during Bengal polls; now both are sharing a stage," Nabin stated.
The 'Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao' (Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy) march began at College Street and ended at Dharmatala, with supporters carrying the national Tricolour, saffron flags and placards while raising slogans of 'Vande Mataram', 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Jai Shri Ram'. Besides Adhikari, Nabin, BJP state president and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya also led the procession.
The West Bengal chief minister focused on the imminent elections in the Kolkata and Howrah municipal corporations. He alleged: "Infiltrators, Maoists, jihadis and dimaagi Naxals are trying to destabilise the nation. We will give them a befitting reply in the Kolkata and Howrah civic body polls. We will wipe them out and give them a befitting reply."
On the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls issue, Adhikari attacked the Opposition, saying: "SIR means drive out infiltrators and save India. That is why they are trying to create anarchy today. We must work to uproot these mentally deranged Naxalites, jihadists, terrorists, Maoists, dynastic politicians and corrupt elements. Beware of cockroaches, bedbugs and the tukde-tukde gang."
Meanwhile, CPI(M) MLA Mustafijur Rahaman on Monday said BJP chief Nitin Nabin should have answered questions raised by the opposition INDIA bloc in Delhi over alleged irregularities in the SIR of electoral rolls, instead of holding a 'Save Democracy' rally in Kolkata.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.