Mamata Banerjee resorts to violence because of your love for me: PM Modi in Bengal

In a scathing attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of "resorting to violence" against the BJP cadres because she is "scared" of the party.

Addressing a huge rally here in West Bengal, he also made a strong defence of the Citizenship bill which is being attacked by Mamata and some other parties of the North East.

"When I saw the attendance here (at the rally), I realised why 'didi' (Mamata) resorts to violence. It is the love you shower on me that scares didi (Mamata) and that is why she resorts to violence," Modi told the gathering.

"Those who pretend to be saviours of democracy indulge in killing of innocent people," he added while attacking Mamata.

The BJP has been accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress of West Bengal of targeting and killing its cadres in the state.

The Prime Minister's remarks came less than a week after vehicles used to ferry audience for BJP chief Amit Shah's rally in East Midnapore were vandalised by miscreants.

At the rally, the Prime Minister said it was unfortunate that the villages of the state have been ignored even after so many decades of independence.

"It is extremely unfortunate that the villages of West Bengal have not been given enough attention even after so many decades of independence. Leaders have not focused on the development of rural areas. New India cannot function in this way. The central government is making every effort for the past 4.5 years for the development of farmers and agricultural labourers," he said.

The Prime Minister also asked the TMC government to extend support to the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019, which is expected to be taken up during the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament.

Defending the bill, he said people from various religions like Hindus and Jains, who had decided to stay on in Pakistan and Bangladesh after partition, had migrated to India after facing lot of difficulties in their home countries and need to be taken care of here.

"Due to communalism, people from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh had to flee from their countries. People from various religions including Hindu, Jains, Parsi found no other place but India. It is for these people that we have got the citizenship bill. I appeal to TMC to support this bill and let it pass in the Parliament," Modi said.

Lauding the budget which was presented by Finance Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday, he assured people that the same is for the benefit of common man, small farmers, labourers, and people of the working class.

"There will be no syndicate tax, no obstacles. The people will directly receive the Rs. 6,000 meant for them under the new budget. The farmers can use this money to meet the expenditures needed for agriculture. This is just the beginning, the main budget after Lok Sabha election will have much more for the youth, farmers, and other sections of the society," he added.