Smriti Irani, the Union minister for textiles, and ladies and youngster improvement, is a star campaigner for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal. In an interview with News18 in Kolkata throughout her marketing campaign, Irani answered a bunch of questions on the state elections, together with Congress chief Rahul Gandhi’s late entry in the marketing campaign and the ladies issue in the continued polls. She additionally responded to the Trinamool Congress (TMC)’s criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Didi O Didi” comment aimed toward chief minister Mamata Banerjee, asking how addressing somebody as “Didi (elder sister)” will be termed “catcall”. Edited excerpts:
The BJP says it is crossing 200 seats in Bengal, whereas the TMC says its opponent gained’t cross even a 100. There is an enormous hole in the claims.
I believe it is greater than evident from the variety of people who find themselves gathering to hearken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, from the variety of people who find themselves thronging to bless (Union dwelling minister) Amit Shah and from the variety of people who find themselves seen at each sales space throughout each voting part; they’re voting for the BJP and emphatically stating that the Trinamool is dropping. If you desire a certification…, then perhaps I can direct your consideration in the direction of a chat that occurred between journalists in Lutyens’ Delhi and any person (election strategist Prashant Kishor) who is main the marketing campaign for Mamata Banerjee…(He) very ardently mentioned that ‘Yes, Modi is one of the most popular political figures in Bengal’…such a person additionally modified his acknowledged place and mentioned that ‘Yes, BJP workers are available in every booth and that the tide is turning against Mamata’…in that dialog there was an affirmation what occurs to Indian politics after the BJP victory in the meeting elections. I believe the writing is on the wall and it is greater than evident to not solely the BJP but in addition to Mamata Banerjee.
There is a notion on the bottom that the BJP doesn’t have the identical organisational energy on the bottom in Bengal prefer it has in Uttar Pradesh or Madhya Pradesh, and that it is a comparatively new occasion right here.
I believe it could be incorrect to say that we’re a brand new occasion right here. The appropriate place in phrases of my perspective is that you simply see a brand new vigour…and also you see it after 2014 as a result of there was an amazing mandate for Narendra Modi (in the Lok Sabha elections that yr)…it was greater than enhanced in 2019 (nationwide polls). The win for the BJP in Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal was once more an indicator of the identical, and that is why not solely hopes however efforts have been additionally bolstered and quadrupled. So to say that the BJP is new to Bengal politics is incorrect. In reality, when the PM and Amit Shah communicate of the evolution of politics — not solely in the nation, not solely in the BJP, but in addition in Bengal — there is a reference to Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (the founding father of the BJP’s political predecessor, the Bharatiya Jana Sangh). Now what might signify the Bengali component of the BJP extra?…any person who guides us, evokes us, and who led us and who has set the very basis of our ideological path got here from Bengal.
So the BJP is not a bahari occasion for Bengal, because the CM says…
I believe for Mamata Banerjee to take that place itself is a bit infantile…this is now a politician who is clutching at straws. This is not a politician who is centered, this is not a politician who has a realistic strategy…persistently, the BJP management has requested her, ‘Can you tell us what have you done for 10 years?’ And in the event you take a look at her public disposition and her speeches, none of them give attention to the work she has finished. Because on each side of governance, it is the individuals of Bengal who’ve questioned her motive, it is the individuals of Bengal who’ve questioned her administrative capacities, it is the individuals of Bengal who’re but once more aligning with the event agenda of the BJP and rejecting the management of Mamata Banerjee.
But she is saying that she has the ladies voter base behind her due to her welfare schemes for them. She is saying she has finished work for girls.
The constituencies to which I’ve travelled to, and I’m positive in your reportage you will see that that, for even financial institution transfers that have been seen throughout the nation for poor ladies in the time of the pandemic, Trinamool goons have been really standing exterior banks and looking for minimize cash (fee) in Bengal. The Amphan state of affairs in Bengal was not solely an ecological problem but in addition an administrative and humanitarian problem…however in the time of disaster, you had the TMC employees and management really stealing rice, stealing tarpaulin. I went to at least one constituency in Medinipur the place individuals got here as much as me and mentioned, ‘Didi, they have even stolen the battery of the tower which is here’. That is the extent of anger in opposition to the Trinamool among the many individuals of Bengal.
Even among the many ladies you might be saying?
Absolutely. There have been many incidents of crime in opposition to ladies the place Mamata Banerjee has not had a disposition that has been type or that has been gender-sensitive. When ladies have been raped, she has mentioned ‘this is an ordinary circumstance and not much can be done’. She, in some cases, has mentioned ‘tell me how much money I have to give’. She has steadfastly refused to create one-stop disaster centres in Bengal, she has steadfastly refused to take cash to arrange assist desks for girls throughout all police stations, she has mentioned no to even vitamin programmes like Poshan Abhiyan — and he or she has been emphatic that she is saying no as a result of it is her political nature to say no and since it (a central scheme) is from the Modi authorities. She has finished a disservice to the wants of the individuals of Bengal. Do you assume that Bengalis will once more vote for that atyachar (tyranny)?
But this picture of a girl CM sitting on a dharna alone in a wheelchair – don’t you assume it would evoke some sympathy amongst ladies voters?
Do you assume ladies might be sympathetic to a girl who has used rape as an instrument to silence political opponents? There have been circumstances after circumstances the place TMC employees have raped ladies solely as a result of they’re ideologically not aligned to their occasion. Do you assume there might be sympathy for such a feminine chief?
Polarisation appears a really huge problem in these elections with Hindu-Muslim divide sadly displaying on the bottom. We noticed an announcement from the CM that Muslims ought to unite behind her…
She oscillates, from doing a Chandi Path in Nandigram to a different part of election the place she wants a selected group’s vote. So her secularism is not intact and her communal nature reveals up in totally different colors. But when the BJP says that ‘we will ensure infrastructure will be built, clean drinking water (will be available)’ – do I assign a caste or a spiritual identification to those that will get that water, properties or electrical energy? No, we don’t.
The current ballot violence in Sitalkuchi appears a turning level in these elections. The CM has visited the deceased’s households. She accuses that the central forces are working beneath your command…
How can they when they’re beneath the authorisation of the Election Commission of India? To accuse paramilitary forces of our nation of being politically biased, is that not an abomination? When have our paramilitary forces not lived as much as their responsibility and honour? So it is properly inside Mamata Banerjee’s democratic rights to convey up any slight in opposition to the BJP, however why drag into this soiled struggle constitutional positions and forces who’re above and past politics?
These elections additionally appear to have change into very private with exchanges from either side. Like the TMC has mentioned PM’s ‘Didi O Didi’ comment is a catcall.
Where has the PM mentioned one phrase in opposition to her? When did calling somebody Didi change into a catcall? Many journalists name me Didi as a result of that is the way in which we discuss to individuals. Prime Minister has not in any means used any foul place. But it is completely stunning…the language — which is despicable in nature — that Mamata Banerjee has used in opposition to the PM. For what? That man is solely speaking about improvement.
People equate Nandigram to your struggle in Amethi and surprise if an upset is in the offing? The CM’s strategist says a cushty win will occur for Banerjee.
She is dropping Nandigram. We are positive. Their strategist in a TV interview has mentioned he solely sells a bundle that is out there. So the strategist is already blaming the product…When have the individuals voted for somebody who is unpopular? So there you will have a gracious acceptance of defeat.
Your bete-noire Rahul Gandhi was right here in Bengal for campaigning…
Please, I’m a self-made girl and my bete-noire has to have these attributes as properly.
Rahul mentioned Mamata Banerjee will be managed by Mr Modi from Delhi, so vote for the Congress-Left alliance…
I believe Mr Gandhi has been so impressed by the remote-control tradition of his mom that he presumes that is what Indian politics is all about. What is attention-grabbing is Mr Gandhi’s place politically…in the Kerala elections, he took a diametrically reverse stand in opposition to the Left, however in Bengal he solid very a robust friendship with them. I believe he nonetheless believes that we’re in a rustic the place we function in a silo, the place individuals in Kerala gained’t know what is taking place in Bengal and other people in Bengal gained’t know what is taking place in Kerala. In a rustic which is so well-informed and in a polity which is so vibrant, do you assume individuals haven’t seen by means of Rahul Gandhi’s capacities, dare I say his management capacities? There are two doable explanation why he got here late in these elections (for campaigning): first, he already is aware of he is dropping — which in fact everyone does — and second, no one was calling him (for campaigning) in his personal occasion — which is worse.
But the BJP shouldn’t be displeased with Rahul’s marketing campaign because it hurts the TMC…
The BJP is very centered that we’re combating this election on improvement agenda and we’re persistently highlighting the dangerous governance patterns of the Trinamool Congress. For us, it is a direct struggle with the TMC and in that struggle, the BJP is successful, and the BJP is about to determine a sarkar in Bengal, thereby creating political historical past in the state.
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