Rajnath Singh Turns Up Heat in Bengal Poll Battle, Warns ‘Goons’ of Jail or Worse
Rajnath Speech delivering his speech ( Picture source: Hindustan Times)
HOOGHLY, WEST BENGAL — The Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, as the West Bengal Assembly elections is entering a crucial stage, on Saturday, gave one of the sharpest warnings yet from the BJP campaign trail telling alleged criminals and political goons of Bengal that their time was running out.
Speaking ahead of the second phase of polling at a massive roadshow in Hooghly, Singh said that if the BJP came to power, lawlessness would no longer be tolerated. He said “I have already said that goons will no longer remain in Bengal. If they do, they will be in Bengal’s jails or upar honge,” and received loud cheers from supporters.
As the party attempts to unseat the ruling All India Trinamool Congress government, this remark by him marked a clear escalation in the BJP’s hard-hitting campaign language.
BJP gives tough Law-and-Order pitch and promised development
Along with taking aim at crime and political violence, Singh also tried to balance his speech by making promises of governance and development, saying that a BJP-led government would ensure safer conditions for voting and act firmly against intimidation.
He urged people to vote freely without fear and warned those who will cause violence would be “straightened out” under a new administration.
Singh said the NDA that the party’s broader agenda would work to secure fair prices for farmers, improve roads and infrastructure and create jobs for Bengal’s youth.
“We do not want tushtikaran (appeasement), we want santushtikaran — politics that brings satisfaction and justice to all,” he said.
The Hooghly rally came just days after Singh struck a similar tone at Sainthia in Birbhum, where he said the BJP wanted to replace appeasement politics with a “politics of humanity.”
Bengal Campaign Gets Sharper Ahead of Phase II Vote
Singh’s comments are part of a wider and increasingly aggressive BJP campaign in Bengal. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave what he called a “last chance” to syndicates and corrupt elements, urging them to surrender at police stations before April 29.
Meanwhile, Yogi Adityanath and Himanta Biswa Sarma have also campaigned in the state, frequently invoking phrases such as “bulldozer justice” and “bullet for bullet” to project a tough governance model.
The political temperature has risen higher after Phase I polling on April 23 which recorded a massive 91.78 percent turnout. With the second phase of elections which is scheduled for April 29, the BJP claimed that the present administration has failed to protect ordinary citizens from political intimidation. However, The All India Trinamool Congress has rejected all those charges.
With counting set for May 4, Singh’s “jail or beyond” warning has added another flashpoint to an already fierce election contest. All eyes are now on whether this aggressive strategy will translate into votes in Bengal.
