BJP chief JP Nadda in West Bengal today
BJP national president JP Nadda, who arrived in West Bengal on Friday night, inaugurated 'Poribartan Yatra' at Nadia to mobilise public support ahead of the assembly elections. He was received at the airport by party national vice-president Mukul Roy and national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya. Nadda kicked off the 'Parivartan Yatra' on Saturday from Nabadwip in Nadia district, the birthplace of 15th-century saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Nadda first visited Malda in the morning to take part in a roadshow and two other programmes in the district.
Several senior BJP leaders are scheduled to arrive in West Bengal during the month-long campaign, set to start from Nadia on Saturday.
The party intends to launch similar yatras from Coochbehar, Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas, Jhargram and Tarapith in Birbhum between February 6 and 11.
The state government has asked the BJP to seek permission from local district administrations before embarking on the yatra.
Nadda today also slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for depriving farmers of the state of the PM Kisan scheme benefits to satisfy her ego. He also wondered why she loses her cool over "Jai Shri Ram" slogans.
Nadda, while attending the final round of the month-long "Krishak Suraksha Abhiyan" of the party, said people of the state have made up their mind to bid "namaste and tata" to Banerjee and her party after the assembly polls.
"What Mamata di did with farmers of Bengal by depriving them of PM Kisan Scheme benefits was an injustice. She did not allow the implementation of the welfare programme in the state to satisfy her ego.
"Now after realising that the farmers themselves have allowed the scheme she has said she would implement it. The 70 lakh farmers for the last two years have been deprived of annual aid of Rs 6,000," Nadda said.
The BJP chief also had lunch with the farmers on the open ground as part of the "Krishak Suraksha Saha-Bhoj" at Sahapur village in Malda. He had 'kichdi' and 'sabji' on the menu.
"When I was coming here I was greeted with Jai Shri Ram slogans. But I don't understand why Mamata didi gets angry after hearing it," he said while referring to the January 23 incident at Victoria Memorial Hall in Kolkata.
Banerjee had declined to speak at the event to celebrate Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's birth anniversary where "Jai Shri Ram" slogans were raised in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Banerjee had not started her speech when the slogan was raised by a section of the crowd at the Victoria Memorial event to celebrate the 125th birth anniversary of the legendary freedom fighter.
