She alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party is targeting her nephew and Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha Trinamool Congress candidate Abhishek Banerjee and is ready to splurge to orchestrate a riot in the area.

“It is Modi’s target to start a riot at Diamond Harbour. He is ready to splurge any amount for the purpose,” Ms Banerjee said at a poll rally in support of her nephew at Metiabruz in the south western part of the city ahead of the final round of polls in the state.

“Where will the country go if Narendra Modi comes to power again? He is the greatest danger of the country. West Bengal is a place where all religions co-exist. I will give my life to see that no riot takes place in the state”, she said.

Hitting out at her detractors who have blamed her for minority appeasement, Ms Banerjee said “People accuse me of appeasing Muslims. What do you mean by appeasement? The Muslims are also people of the state. What nasty politics is the BJP doing?”

Metiabruz is a predominantly Muslim area, historically the place where the last Nawab of Awadh Wajid Ali Shah was exiled by the British. Known as the second Lucknow, it is famous for its large tailoring community who supply ready-made garments to traders across east India.

She alleged that the BJP is after her nephew and is spreading rumours about him. “What wrong has he done? He is just a member of my family and is engaged in politics.”At Birlapur in South 24 Parganas, she said that PM Modi should be “thrown out of power” to save the country. “We (TMC) want all the 42 seats in West Bengal so that TMC can have a say in the formation of the Delhi government”, she said.

Ms Banerjee has been claiming for some time that her party will play an important role at the Centre and in the formation of the new government after the general elections.

Speaking at yet another rally at Namkhana in the Sundarbans in South 24 Parganas, Ms Banerjee asked voters not to give a single vote to PM Modi as the country will be destroyed by him.

PM Modi had not done anything for the country for the past five years, she claimed.

“If you choose the ‘chowkidar’ as Prime Minister, the country will be destroyed by him. The voters can oust him by not giving a single vote to BJP,” the Trinamool Congress supremo said.

“BJP has killed and lynched minorities, advisasis and journalists also”, she alleged.

“There is nothing to get afraid of the BJP. Don’t vote for it. Also, if a single vote goes to CPI-M and Congress, it will strengthen BJP’s hands”.

Ms Banerjee attacked PM Modi for demonetisation, which she alleged, had “killed” three crore jobs in the country and affected farming practices.

Prices of petrol, gas, diesel has risen over the last five years, she said.

Referring to West Bengal, she blamed the BJP government for going back on its words to construct the Tajpur port.

The state will develop the Tajpur deep sea port on its own as the Centre did nothing to start work on the project in the past three years, she had declared in January.

Ms Banerjee said the TMC government has been able to bring down unemployment in the state by about 40 per cent, while demonetisation had taken away three crore jobs across the country.1

“We have also decided to mobilise Rs. 1,000 crore in the next three to four years to build a bridge over Muriganga river in Gangasagar for which detailed project report has to be made”, she added. 

The Correspondent Bureau with inputs from agencies

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Half a dozen people were injured and over 100 people were arrested following clashes during polling.

“I have not met my seniors yet and when we will sit together I will know where and why violence took place. Thoda toh hoga hi har jagah hota hai (A little violence will happen and happens everywhere). Violence is much less now compared to before”.

Earlier in the day, Moon Moon Sen, 65, said that she “hadn’t heard anything” because she had woken up late. “They gave me my bed tea very late so I woke up very late. What can I say? I really don’t know,” Moon Moon Sen said.

The BJP candidate and Asansol’s incumbent lawmaker Babul Supriyo has alleged that Trinamool workers were taking over booths and not allowing people to vote. His car was also vandalized.
Asked about Babul Supriyo’s allegations, Moon Moon Sen said: “Don’t say his name, please. I won’t talk then.”

When it was pointed out that such violence had been seen frequently during polling in Bengal, Moon Moon Sen retorted: “You were too young to see when the Communists were in power. It is all over India, not just Bengal.”

Moon Moon Sen was dubbed the “giant-killer” in 2014 when she defeated a nine-time Left lawmaker in Bankura.

As her “bed tea” comment went viral, Moon Moon Sen tried to explain that after a tough campaign, she took the day off. “The day I don’t have work, I am allowed to take a holiday, I can get up late so I got up at 10 am, did my breakfast and left at 11 am for my destination. That doesn’t mean I am ignorant, that people are fighting and I am sipping tea in bed.”

The Correspondent Bureau with inputs from agencies

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