Amit Shah calls for 'Didi free Bengal'

Taking potshots at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the Saradha chit-fund scam and the Burdwan blast, Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah on Sunday appealed to the people here to vote for change and development in the state.

Asserting that there will be change in many places in the coming days, Shah urged the people to vote for the BJP to ensure that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is able to carry forward his development plans in the state.

Shah accused the TMC supremo of providing shelter to Bangladeshi infiltrators for the sake of vote bank politics.

"I appeal to 'Didi' that if she wants to indulge in vote bank politics, then she can do that, but for that she shouldn't put the safety of the nation at stake. Don't provide shelter to Bangladeshi infiltrators just for vote bank politics," Shah said here.

Taking a dig at the TMC MPs recent protest in the Parliament on the black money issue, he asked why Mamata was protecting those involved in the Saradha chit-fund scam.

"The Trinamool Congress MPs protest against black money in the Parliament. I want to ask 'Didi' whether Saradha chit-fund money is black money or white money. I want to ask 'Didi' why she is protecting the people involved in Saradha chit fund scam," he said.

The BJP chief also derided the pace of development in Bengal, saying many industries had closed down in the state and the youth were unemployed.

"It is important for development to reach West Bengal for development of the east. Many big industries have closed down in West Bengal, the youth is unemployed and condition of infrastructure is worse. You tell me, if Modiji would want to work for development of Bengal, would Mamataji allow it?" he said.

Shah promised the voters that if the BJP came to power in the next assembly polls in 2016, they would make West Bengal the number one state in the country.

"If you make up your mind to support BJP, I can assure you that we will make West Bengal number one state of the nation. Bengal has intelligence, hard work and passion to do something, only thing that lacks is a strong leadership," he said.

Shah stated that if the voters wanted to bring development to West Bengal, they must completely uproot TMC in the upcoming Kolkata Municipal Corporation polls.

BJP's national secretary Siddharth Nath Singh had earlier stated that party chief Amit Shah's rally in Kolkata would sound the poll bugle for the 2016 assembly elections where the call would be for a 'Mamata-free Bengal'.