BJP wants to destroy Bengal's culture, heritage and divide it: Rahul Gandhi in a West Bengal rally

Image courtesy: ANI

Goalpokhor (West Bengal): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday (April 14) that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to destroy Bengal and its culture while addressing his first rally in West Bengal in this election season. 

Rahul Gandhi said, "BJP wants to destroy Bengal's culture, heritage and divide it. In Assam, they are doing the same thing; in Tamil Nadu, they are trying to do the same thing with their alliance partner AIADMK," adding "The BJP has nothing to offer except for hatred, violence and divisive politics." 

Mocking the BJP's slogan of building "Sonar Bangla", the former Congress president termed it as a "mirage and said they "sell the same dream in every state", adding said the saffron party has nothing to offer except for hatred, violence and dividing people on the basis of language, religion, caste and creed. 

He further said, "In every state, they say similar things like Sonar Bangla. But, they only offer dividing people on the basis of religion, caste and language." 

Rahul Gandhi also took a dig at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and said his party would never align with the BJP and the RSS, unlike the TMC, which in the past had been an alliance partner of the saffron party-led NDA.

The Congress leader criticised the "cut money" culture in Bengal, and added "You gave the opportunity to TMC. But, they failed. People of the state have to venture out in search of jobs. This is the only state where you have to pay cut money to get jobs."

Ridiculing the TMC poll slogan "Khela Hobe" (Game will happen), Rahul said serving people and playing games in this regard are not the same, adding "We have never aligned with the BJP and the RSS. Our fight is not just political but ideological too. For Mamata Ji, it is just a political fight."

"The BJP knows very well Congress will never surrender before them, so they called for Congress Mukt Bharat. They never said TMC mukt Bharat, as they have been their former allies," Rahul said, urging people to vote in favour of the Congress- ISF-Left alliance in Bengal to usher in a new era of development.

In Darjeeling, Rahul Gandhi said, "Narendra Modi said ‘bhaio-bheno’, beat thaali, corona will go. He said ghanti bajaao. After that, he asked people to take out their mobile phones& switch on flashlights. This man is the PM of India. Rather than helping labourers, he asked them to ring bells."

"Last year in February, all Congress leaders and I collectively told PM that India is going to be affected by COVID. You start preparing to save the economy, migrant labourers and small-scale industry. Press mocked me and said I'm trying to scare people," Rahul Gandhi added.

(With Agency Inputs)