PM Modi said “the killings of BJP workers” won’t be tolerated
New Delhi:
In his speech to mark the victory in Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an oblique but significant reference to Bengal, where elections will be held next year.
Without naming Bengal or Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Prime Minister warned that “the killing of BJP workers is not acceptable in a democracy” and those responsible would be punished by the people.
At a grand celebration at the BJP office in Delhi a day after the Nitish Kumar-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won in Bihar, the PM segued into Bengal as he talked about his government’s hard work being acknowledged by voters.
“But today, those unable to challenge us, some of those people have adopted the path of murder of our workers. In some parts of the country they think that by killing BJP workers they will fulfil their ambitions. I do not think I need to warn them, because in a democracy, the people speak,” PM Modi said to a rousing applause and slogan shouting by party workers gathered at the BJP headquarters.
“Elections come and go there are victories and defeats – today someone will sit in power tomorrow someone else, but this game of murder cannot be accepted in a democracy. By playing with death you cannot get a mandate – see the writing on the wall,” he said.
The BJP has been targeting Mamata Banerjee over the killing of its workers in Bengal in alleged political violence, and plans to make it a big campaign point against the Trinamool Congress. The party alleges that 100 BJP workers have been murdered in Bengal in the last two and a half years.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on his visit to Bengal last week, asked Mamata Banerjee to come out with a White Paper on political killings in the state.
After winning Bihar, the BJP will move its focus to Bengal, where it has been preparing ground over the past few years.
In the national election last year, the party stunned Mamata Banerjee by winning 18 of Bengal’s 42 parliamentary seats and proving that it had made inroads into the state.
Galvanised by the Bihar victory, the ruling party has set itself a target of winning more than 200 of Bengal’s 294 seats.
