"TMC, BJP are brother and sister, fooling people of Bengal": Asaduddin Owaisi alleges lack of infrastructure in Muslim-majority areas

Asansol (West Bengal) [India], April 15 : AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday held the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee responsible for the strengthening of the BJP in West Bengal, accusing the state government of neglecting essential services in minority-concentrated regions.

Addressing a gathering here, Owaisi said, "If the BJP is strong in Bengal, then the TMC and Mamata Banerjee are responsible for that. The damage that the BJP and PM Narendra Modi do to India's Constitution and Muslims, especially the poor, is equally done by the TMC."

"In those blocks of Bengal where there are a large number of Muslims, there are no schools, no hospitals, and if there is a hospital, there are no beds; if there are beds, there are no doctors. In those areas, people don't even get clean water, and farmers are not given any help.... Here, women are facing the biggest problems," Owaisi alleged.

Further, Owaisi targeted the TMC over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and said that it was the responsibility of Mamta Banerjee to ensure everyone's name is on the list since it's her government.

"Names of Muslims were struck off from the SIR list, and names of Hindus were also struck off. Tell me, isn't it Mamata Banerjee's responsibility that, since it's your government, you should have made every effort to ensure that everyone's name is on the SIR list? It's your government, you are the Chief Minister, power is in your hands. But Mamata Banerjee and TMC only care about your votes. If your names are being struck off, then the responsibility also falls on the TMC... There is no difference between TMC and BJP; in the true sense, they are brother and sister, fooling the people of Bengal," the AIMIM Chief said.

Earlier on Tuesday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched an all-out attack on BJP, alleging it is "going too far to capture Bengal", names of lakhs of people have been deleted from voters list and the NDA government "has stopped Bengal's money".

Addressing an election rally, Mamata Banerjee alleged that atrocities have been committed against Bengali-speaking people in BJP ruled states and "revenge (of people) will be in the box of democracy".

She expressed apprehensions about EVM machines and said she had "never seen anyone play such a dirty game as the BJP".

"This time the fight is different. BJP is going too far to capture Bengal. It has cut the names of millions of people. It has stopped all our Bengal's money... The VVPAT machines, including EVM machines, will be checked carefully. They have planned by looking at our seats; if the machines get damaged, they will not change them, but will insert a chip in the machine. They will ask people to wait until the new machine comes... I have never seen anyone play such a dirty game as the BJP," she alleged.

The political temperature in West Bengal has risen as polling for the 294-member Assembly in West Bengal will take place in two phases on April 23 and April 29, while counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.

In the last assembly election in the state, held in eight phases in 2021, the Trinamool Congress recorded a landslide victory with 213 seats amid an intense contest with the BJP, which jumped to 77 seats. Congress and the Left Front drew a blank in the last state polls.

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