TMC abusing scheduled castes only because they support BJP: PM Modi

Hitting out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said Trinamool Congress (TMC) is abusing Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) only because they support Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Speaking at Kalyani Vidhan Sabha constituency, PM Modi said, "Perturbed with fear of losing, Didi (Mamata Banerjee) and her party are crossing all lines. Her people are abusing Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs) only because they support Bharatiya Janata Party."

"I met a person from Matua community in Bangladesh recently, who said I'm India's first Prime Minister who came to seek Harichand Thakur's blessings in Orakandi. Didi didn't like my Orakandi visit. Didi, the country can see how you have spewed hatred towards Dalits and underprivileged for 10 years," PM Modi added.

The Prime Minister said, "Didi promised to make Kalyani a theme city. But she deputed teams of corrupt people and tolabaaz here. Visionaries like Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee and BC Roy wanted to transform Kalyani into a model for modern Bengal but Didi's poor policies have pushed it behind by years."

The Prime Minister later said, "Seeing her defeat, Didi has strategised to stop them from voting and facilitate her goons to rig votes."

The statement comes after four people were killed in Cooch Behar in an open firing of central forces' personnel amidst the polling of the fourth phase on Saturday.

The fifth and sixth phases of the ongoing elections will take place on April 17 and April 22. Counting of votes will take place on May 2.