Modi Terms Lalu, Mamata Anti-Development Leaders

New Delhi:Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday laid the foundation stone and unveiled multiple development projects worth over Rs 7,200 crores in Bihar’s Motihari and over Rs 5,400 crores at Durgapur in West Bengal. While in Bengal, Mr Modi attacked chief minister Mamata Banerjee's party for blocking the growth in the state; he credited the alliance partner and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar for leading the state to progress. In his Bihar rally, Mr Modi also targeted the Congress-RJD combine for neglecting the poor and lack of growth in the state.

Sounding the poll bugle for the next year's Assembly election in West Bengal, Mr Modi alleged that the TMC government in the state has been standing as a “diwar” (wall) against growth. He meticulously used "investment" instead of the BJP's Hindutva card in his bid to woo the people of the state to give his party a chance in the 2026 polls to prove its worth.

Speaking in Durgapur on Friday evening, Mr Modi set the state's "industrialisation" as the BJP's agenda to end the 15-year rule of “crime, corruption and appeasement” under the Trinamul Congress.

The Prime Minister said: “The pathetic state of Bengal can be changed. Bengal can be among the top industrial states in the country within a few years of the BJP coming to power in the state. And I firmly believe in it because of the able and talented youth. Both rivers and sea are here. Bengal has also been a centre of imports and exports for long. A vast port network and natural resources are available too.”

Mr Modi made the pitch at a BJP rally at Durgapur, the state's top industrial belt, in Burdwan West after inaugurating various Central government projects at a nearby venue.

Attacking Ms Banerjee's party, Mr Modi then alleged, “The only challenge in Bengal's development is that the TMC government has been standing as a diwar against growth in the state. The day the TMC government’s diwar falls, Bengal will pick up a new pace of growth. The real change will come only when the TMC government goes.”

“Bengal is going to play a big role in the Viksit Bharat initiative. With this pledge, the BJP is asking for your blessings,” Mr Modi said, while pointing out the progress in neighbouring states — Assam, Tripura and Odisha. “So my only appeal to you is: Give the BJP a chance to form a government here which will be kaamdaar, imaandaar, damdaar,” he said.

Vowing to bring back the “lost glory” of Bengal, Mr Modi observed, “Bengal needs the flow of new investments. People need to come forward to set up their new industries here. Education and tech sectors for the youth require fresh investments. But as long as the TMC government is here, it will never allow that to happen.”

Mr Modi further argued: “The environment that has been created in Bengal over the last decade is against investments and employment. How can someone make investments somewhere amid Murshidabad-like riots, violence over petty issues, one-sided police actions and no hope of justice?”

“The state government cannot even save the lives and livelihoods of the people. This worries the investors. Even if someone across the world wishes to invest here, he flees after seeing how the TMC extorts money under threat and unleashes vandalism. The TMC's goonda tax and mafiosi stop investments here,” Mr Modi said.

Sharpening his attacks on the Mamata Banerjee government over violence against women in the state, Mr Modi, referring to the rape and murder of an on-duty doctor at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital last year and the recent gangrape of a student at South Calcutta Law College, lamented, “Atrocities against women pain and anger us.”

At a time when the TMC is fanning Bengali sentiments by accusing the BJP-ruled states of harassing Bangla-speaking migrant workers on the suspicion of being Bangladeshi infiltrators and driving them out, Mr Modi made it clear that the actions against the illegal immigrants will continue.

“Bengal and Bengalis are respected wherever the BJP is in power because Bengal’s asmita is supreme to the BJP. But the TMC is all out to protect the interests of the infiltrators as part of its appeasement politics for the sake of its vote bank. It is handing them fake identity proof to change the demography of the state. Let me tell you, whatever steps are required against the infiltrators will continue to be taken according to our constitutional provisions.”

Earlier poll-bound Bihar, in an apparent reference to the land-for-jobs scam in which RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav and his family members are accused of usurping land from the poor on the false promise of jobs, Mr Modi said that leaders from other parties can never provide employment, especially those who, under the guise of offering jobs, seize people’s land.

At the Motihari rally, the Prime Minister said that the "viksit" (developed) Bihar is key for eastern India's development. He urged the public to remember the contrast between the era of lanterns (the RJD's poll symbol) and today’s Bihar, illuminated by new hopes.

The Prime Minister credited the NDA government for the transformation of Bihar, affirming that Bihar’s resolve remains firm and unwavering in its support for the coalition.

“Bihar's progress is essential for India's progress. Bihar will advance only when its youth move forward,” Mr Modi said and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to a prosperous Bihar and employment for every youth.

The Prime Minister stated that significant efforts have been made in recent years to create employment opportunities within Bihar itself. Commending the Nitish Kumar government for appointing lakhs of youth in government roles with full transparency, he said that the Bihar CM made a new resolution to further create more employment for Bihar’s youth. He said that the Central government is fully supporting these efforts shoulder to shoulder.

Slamming the Mahagathbandhan parties, Mr Modi alleged that the Congress-RJD combine played politics in the name of the poor and socially marginalised people and blamed the Opposition alliance for the state's earlier neglect and stagnation.

The Prime Minister highlighted the decisive action taken against Naxalism in recent years, which has greatly benefited the youth of Bihar. He stated that districts like Champaran, Aurangabad, Gaya and Jamui, once held back by Maoist influence, are now witnessing the decline of extremism.

Mr Modi said that in areas once overshadowed by Maoist violence, youth are now dreaming big and the government’s committed to completely freeing India from the grip of Naxalism. “This is a new India — an India that spares no effort in punishing the enemies, mobilising forces from both land and sky,” he said.

Recalling that it was from the soil of Bihar that he had resolved to launch “Operation Sindoor”, Mr Modi said that the success of that operation is being witnessed by the entire world today.

In his address, the Prime Minister mentioned that in the last 45 days, the government has released `1,000 crores to 24,000 self-help groups in Bihar. “Of the total 1.5 crore 'lakhpati didis' in the country, 20 lakhs are from the state," he said.

The Prime Minister also said that Champaran gave a new direction to Mahatma Gandhi's movement during the country's freedom struggle. “We have to develop Motihari like Mumbai,” he added.