Ahmedabad Times

NEW DELHI: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Saturday intensified his assault on the Centre throughout the West Bengal meeting election marketing campaign, questioning why chief minister Mamata Banerjee has not confronted a number of felony circumstances regardless of critical corruption prices linked to the Trinamool Congress (TMC). He requested why there are usually not ’36, 38 or 40 circumstances’ in opposition to the TMC chief whilst he himself continues to face a number of authorized proceedings.Addressing a public assembly at Sahid Minar Floor, Gandhi alleged that whereas the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s authorities has pursued a number of circumstances in opposition to him, no comparable investigative motion has been taken in opposition to Mamata Banerjee. He claimed this was as a result of the TMC supremo doesn’t immediately confront the BJP in the identical manner because the Congress does.“In the present day I’ve come right here, I’m out on bail. Narendra Modi took away my official residence. He took away my Lok Sabha membership. Why are there not 36, 38 or 40 circumstances in opposition to Mamata Banerjee? All the Bengal is aware of that folks of the Trinamool have indulged in corruption. The Saradha chit fund rip-off was completed by individuals of the Trinamool. It ruined 17 lakh traders. There are unpaid dues of Rs 1,900 crore. The Rose Valley chit fund rip-off took cash from lakhs of individuals. There’s extortion within the type of ‘goonda tax’ assortment. However Narendra Modi, RSS and BJP haven’t performed any investigation in opposition to Mamata ji. They don’t assault Mamata ji. Why? As a result of they know that the actual battle will not be with the Trinamool. The actual battle is with the Congress occasion,” he mentioned.Gandhi siad Mamata and PM Modi are “two sides of the identical coin”, contemplating that none of them care concerning the aspirations of the frequent individuals. “The Prime Minister claims that he’s a real nationalist. However he had completed nothing for the poor individuals. He had completed all the things for the millionaires. Earlier than the Left Entrance rule, Congress dominated West Bengal. At the moment there have been a number of industries within the state,” he mentioned. The Congress chief added, “Mamata Banerjee, too, like PM Narendra Modi, doesn’t look after employment technology for the youth. Each the Prime Minister and the West Bengal Chief Minister are bothered about themselves. What PM Narendra Modi is doing in India, that’s precisely what Mamata Banerjee is doing in West Bengal.”The Lok Sabha’s Chief of Opposition additional in contrast investigative scrutiny confronted by him with what he described because the absence of ED or CBI motion in opposition to the West Bengal CM.Stating that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioned him for 55 hours over 5 consecutive days, the Congress chief requested, “For what number of hours was Mamata Banerjee interrogated?”Gandhi reiterated that no central probe companies had been performing in opposition to the TMC chief. In a separate ballot rally at Serampore in Hooghly district for the second section of West Bengal meeting elections, Gandhi mentioned: “It is because she doesn’t battle the BJP immediately.”He additionally highlighted the authorized circumstances pending in opposition to him and mentioned he’s required to journey ceaselessly throughout states to attend court docket proceedings.Gandhi mentioned, “My home was taken away, my Lok Sabha membership was taken away; there are 36 circumstances in opposition to me.”The Congress chief mentioned that he has to journey to numerous states like Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Bihar each 10-15 days to battle the circumstances registered in opposition to him.“I wish to ask what number of circumstances have been registered in opposition to Mamata Banerjee by Narendra Modi?” he requested.Gandhi asserted that solely the Congress takes on the BJP on ideological grounds, alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi targets him, occasion chief Mallikarjun Kharge and others constantly.Claiming that PM Modi criticises the TMC chief solely throughout election intervals, he mentioned, “Let the Bengal elections finish; Narendra Modi won’t communicate a phrase in opposition to Mamata Banerjee.”He additional mentioned that the BJP understands solely the Congress can problem its ideological framework, not the Trinamool Congress.Gandhi accused the TMC management of destroying trade and contributing to unemployment in West Bengal, alleging that jobs are distributed by means of political connections.“One has to have a relative within the TMC to get a job in Bengal, else he won’t get any,” he mentioned, accusing the chief minister of working for the pursuits of “goons” and occasion staff.Gandhi additionally alleged that main scams resembling Saradha and Rose Valley occurred beneath the TMC regime, affecting lakhs of traders.He additional alleged widespread coal smuggling, unlawful mining and what he termed “goonda tax” assortment within the state.He accused the TMC of comparable behaviour in the direction of opposition staff because the BJP allegedly does in different states.Gandhi additionally referred to the 2021 TMC ballot promise of 5 lakh jobs, questioning its implementation, and cited unemployment-related considerations within the state.The remarks come amid heightened political exchanges between the Congress, BJP and TMC throughout the ongoing election marketing campaign in West Bengal.The polling for Section I of the meeting elections concluded at 6 pm on Thursday, with West Bengal recording a considerably greater voter turnout of 91.78 per cent, in response to the Election Fee. The second section of the polling will likely be held on April 29, with counting scheduled for Might 4.