TMC rule reduced Bengali Hindus to a minority: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal of turning Bengali Hindus into a "minority" in the state and opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise to ensure "infiltrators are not removed from the voters list".

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Meanwhile, barely hours before Modis rally, a clash broke out between TMC and BJP supporters near the venue, leaving at least eight police personnel injured. Police said four people have been arrested in connection with the matter.

“Over the last few decades, the demography has changed in many areas of Bengal. Bengali Hindus are being turned into a minority. The TMC is opposed to giving citizenship to Hindus because for them their vote bank is paramount. They don’t consider Hindus as their vote bank because they (Hindus) don’t add up to their criminal gangs. The TMC opposed the SIR so that infiltrators are not removed from the voters list. They are not even ready to delete the names of dead voters,” Modi said while addressing a rally at Kolkatas Brigade Parade Grounds to mark culmination of the partys statewide ‘Parivartan Yatra’.

Continuing his attack on the Mamata Banerjee-led government, Modi said: “The TMC had come to power with its ‘Ma (Mother), Mati (Soil), Manush (People)’ slogan. Today mothers are crying, soil is being looted and the people of Bengal are forced to leave the state. Infiltration is posing a big threat to Bengals Roti (Food), Beti (Daughters) and Mati (Soil).”

He added: “In most of the crimes, one or the other criminal is either a TMC leader or is associated with it. The TMC government openly stands beside the criminals and tries to shield them. This attitude has resulted in increased attacks on women.”