News Analysis India

Tag: BJP

  • Assam minister threatens to ‘vanish’ scribe; Congress seeks cancellation of his candidature

    By PTI
    GUWAHATI/MORIGAON: An Assam minister allegedly threatened to “vanish” two journalists of separate news channels for reporting a controversial poll speech of his wife, prompting the Congress to demand that his candidature for the assembly election be cancelled.

    A complaint has been filed by one of the journalists at Jagiroad police station in Morigaon district against Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Pijush Hazarika, but an FIR is yet to be registered, police said.

    In an audio clip telecast by Assamese news channel Pratidin Time, Hazarika was heard talking to journalist Nazrul Islam and, during the conversation, the minister threatened him and another scribe, Tulsi, to drag them out of their homes and “vanish” them.

    The BJP candidate said in the phone conversation, which has now gone viral, that he was “sad” because they reported the controversial statement of his wife Aimee Baruah made at a poll meeting a few days ago in Jagiroad, the constituency of her husband.

    In a viral video, Baruah was seen stating at the meeting that those not accepting the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) would be thrown out of the country.

    The objective of the CAA is to grant Indian citizenship to people of minority communities Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, who had come to India till December 31, 2014, due to religious persecution in these countries.

    The state witnessed violent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in 2019 and five persons lost their lives.

    The protestors saw the law as a threat to their cultural identity and livelihood.

    In a memorandum to the Assam’s chief electoral officer, state Congress president Ripun Bora said, “Pijush Hazarika has found to have threatened a reporter with dire consequences for showing a video of his wife recorded during her election campaign in Jagiroad.”

    During the call, the BJP candidate stated that Islam should get ready to face the consequences for showing his wife’s news and the channel cannot save him, Bora alleged in the memorandum.

    “He also warned Nazrul Islam allegedly for doing ‘Miya Politics’ to support Congress and ‘Aajmal Party’ i. e. AIUDF and threatened him that he will spoil Nazrul Islam’s life,” it read.

    The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) led by Badruddin Ajmal is a constituent of the Congress-led Grand Alliance.

    The incident has put the democracy of the state under “serious threat” and the public are now under want of protection from such threats, the memorandum claimed.

    “That apart, the words ‘Miya Politics’, ‘Aajmal Party’ etc uttered. in the said call has directly aggravated the existing differences between the communities of the state and has created mutual hatred between them,” Bora said.

    The contents of the conversation by Hazarika clearly violated the Model Code of Conduct, and laws such as the Representation of People Act, 1951 he added.

    “Under such circumstances, I pray before your honour to take prompt and necessary action against Pijush Hazarika to disqualify his candidature from the present General Assembly Election and issue directions for filing FIR/Complaint against him,” Bora said.

    The Gauhati Press Club (GPC) also condemned the “act of intimidation in the strongest words” and said that it is very unbecoming of a public representative to threaten a journalist of dire consequences.

    The GPC also demanded that the safety and security of the journalists concerned should be ensured by the Election Commission and the state government.

  • Third terror attack within a week claims cop’s life in Srinagar

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR:  In the third attack within a week, militants on Thursday attacked the residence of a BJP leader in Nowgam area in outskirts of Srinagar, killing a policeman and snatching his service weapon. 

    Blaming Lashkar-e-Toiba, the police claimed four militants launched the attack targeting BJP leader Mohammad Anwar Khan at Aaribagh, Nowgam in the outskirts of Srinagar. It was the second such attack on BJP activists in three days.

    Anwar, who is district general secretary of Baramulla and in charge of Kupwara, was not present in the house at the time of attack. His family members, however, were present inside.

    In the militant attack, policeman Rameez Raja sustained multiple bullet injuries and was rushed to SMHS hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.

    Before fleeing from the spot, militants decamped with the service weapon of the policeman.

    Top security officials and a contingent of police and CRPF reached the spot and launched a search operation in the area. The police took over CCTVs installed at Khan’s house to analyse the footage.

    Inspector General, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said one of the four Lashkar militants wearing a burqa knocked the door.

    “When the policeman opened the door, two militants fired at him indiscriminately and another militant came and snatched his service rifle.” 

    Two militants were identified as Shahid Khurshid and Obaid Shafi, both hailing from Srinagar, the IG said.  Of the three attacks in the Kashmir Valley, two were in Srinagar.

    On March 25, militants had attacked a CRPF vehicle at Lawaypora area in the outskirts of Srinagar, killing three paramilitary personnel and injuring another.

    Four days on, militants attacked the municipal office in Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district and killed two BJP councillors and a policeman.  BJP general secretary (organisation) Ashok Kaul asked the government to increase the security of the party leaders in the Valley.

  • Bengal, Assam polls: Doom of Opposition in Modi’s crystal ball

    Express News Service
    GUWAHATI/KOLKATA: The BJP has started predicting results even when elections are underway. In Assam, two of the three phases have been completed.

    In West Bengal, six more phases remain. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing election rallies in these two states on Thursday, said that BJP is going to win.

    Trying to strike a chord with the locals who love football, Modi said in Assam’s Kokrajhar that people of the state have shown the red card to the opposition alliance in the first two phases of elections. 

    “The whole of India knows football is very popular among the youth here. Given the sense I am getting after the two phases, people have shown red card to Congress-AIUDF combine,” Modi said while campaigning for the UPPL candidate.

    The UPPL and AGP are allies of BJP. Congress leads a 10-party alliance also including AIUDF.

    Following the line of his party in recent election rallies, the PM accused Congress of resorting to divisive politics and misleading people.

    “They instigated people made them fight. The NDA united them through the bridge of development. The Congress is responsible for the encroachment of land. NDA freed them,” he said.

    Stating that peace has returned to Assam, he said the NDA government was committed to help those who had abjured the path of violence. He appealed to those still wielding the gun to join the NDA’s mission for peace and progress.

    At a rally in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas, Modi lashed out at Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee and said her body language showed she had accepted defeat.

    “Everyone has seen what has happened in Nandigram. She (Mamata) is the opinion poll, she is the exit poll. Mamata didi your body language is showing you have accepted defeat in Nandigram,’’ said Modi.

    The PM in his speech said Nandigram reflected Bengal’s mood.

    “What happened in Nandigram is the reflection of what Bengal wants now. Didi first changed her constituency and later realised, it was her wrong decision. Didi always stands as a barrier in the path of development. She destroyed Bengal’s industries. She ran the government for 10 years without any planning. BJP will be focussed on Bengal’s development after wresting power.”

    Reiterating BJP’s claim to whitewash the TMC-led government, Modi said: “The people of Bengal have decided to bring change. The BJP will come to power in the state with more than 200 seats. Six more phases of polling remain in West Bengal after Thursday.”

  • BJP counting on ‘positive votes’, outcome of government schemes to win Assam and Bengal

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  Move over positive vibes! ‘Positive vote’ is the new buzzword in BJP. The saffron outfit is confident and saying that the people’s endorsements of the work done by the government at the Centre will translate into votes in the states where Assembly elections are held. 

    BJP boses are hoping that the party’s consolidation over ‘positive votes’ will get them an extended run in Assam and a new term in West Bengal after it helped them deliver a much better performance than senior alliance partner JD(U) in the recent Bihar elections.

    “BJP is no more looking at anti-incumbency votes in Bengal against Trinamool Congress. BJP had already bagged anti-incumbency votes there in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Now, it’s the positive vote that is coming to the aide of BJP in Bengal and Assam,” said a Union minister, who recently returned from electioneering in the two states.

    For BJP, ‘positive vote’ means people supporting the party candidate in the state elections due to the work done by the Central government, its welfare measures, and the appeal of PM Narendra Modi. 

    However, the BJP’s electioneering in Bengal has focussed more on highlighting the failure of the TMC government,  with thrust on syndicate, organised corruption, lack of development, non-implementation of Central schemes.

    “In Assam, development done by the NDA government along with the achievements of the Centre will help BJP gain a straight second mandate on the basis of positive votes. In Bengal, BJP has worked up the aspirations of the people to expect better things, due to party being in power at the Centre. That aspiration will get the positive vote for BJP,” said another Union minister, who has also been on election campaiging duty in Assam and Bengal. 

    Reflecting on Bengal, the minister claimed that TMC and BJP are pitched in a direct contest, with the Left and Congress failing to find space in people’s attention during the build-up to polling. But he says the party has to better its 2019 performance by several notches.

  • Three injured in firing by Assam Assembly Deputy Speaker’s bodyguards following clashes between BJP, AIUDF supporters

    By PTI
    SILCHAR: At least three persons were injured in firing by the bodyguards of Assam Assembly Deputy Speaker Aminul Haque Laskar on Thursday after clashes broke out between supporters of BJP and AIUDF.

    Cachar district Deputy Commissioner Keerthi Jalli confirmed “an incident” and said the administration is waiting for a detailed report from the polling station at 463 Madhya Dhanehori LP School of Sonai constituency.

    “They are all non-critical,” she said when asked how many people were injured and their health status.

    When contacted the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Assam, Joint Chief Electoral Officer Rahul Chandra Das said they will be able to comment only after a detailed report is received from the Returning Officer.

    A huge contingent of police and central armed police forces have been deployed, while the district SP has rushed to the spot, officials said.

    According to the Dhanehori gaon panchayat president Lutfa Begum, public protested when Laskar entered the booth in late afternoon.

    “People alleged that he has tried to rig the voting. Many people rushed to the spot and confined Laskar in one room. Due to this the situation became tens. A clash broke out between supporters of Laskar and his opponent,” she added.

    Sitting MLA Laskar is having a direct contest with Karim Uddin Barbhuiya of the AIUDF at Sonai, where voting took place on Thursday in the second phase.

    “When a big crowd gathered and they tried to manhandle Laskar, his PSOs fired. In this, at least three persons were injured and they were admitted in hospitals,” Begum said.

    The wounded have been identified as Shamim Ahmed Choudhury, Baharul Islam and Kader Hussain, she added.

    Repeated calls made to IG (Law and Order)-cum-State Police Nodal Officer Deepak Kr Kedia and Cachar SP Bhanwar Lal Meena were disconnected.

    An estimated 72 per cent polling took place in Sonai, while Cachar saw a turnout of 72.28 per cent.

  • Mamata Banerjee’s body language shows that she has accepted defeat in Nandigram: PM Modi

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA: Amid Mamata Banerjee’s claims of ‘rigged’ polling at Nandigram, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at the Trinamool Congress supremo stating that her body language indicated that she had accepted defeat in the East Midnapore seat.

    “Everyone has seen what has happened in Nandigram. She (Mamata) is the opinion poll, she is the exit poll. Mamata didi your body language is showing you have accepted your defeat in Nandigram,” said Modi, while addressing a rally in Mathurapur, South 24 Parganas.

    ALSO READ | Battle for Nandigram: Massive face-off between Mamata and Suvendu on polling day

    The Prime Minister in his speech said polling in Nandigram reflected Bengal’s mood. “What happened in Nandigram is the reflection of what Bengal wants now. Didi first changed her constituency and later realised, it was her wrong decision. Didi always stands as a barrier in the path of development. She destroyed Bengal’s industries. She run the government for 10 years without any planning. BJP will be focused on Bengal’s development after wresting power,” he said.

    Reiterating BJP’s claim to whitewash the TMC-led government, Modi said, “The people of Bengal have decided to bring change in Bengal. The BJP will come to power in Bengal with more than 200 seats.”

  • Policeman killed in attempted LeT attack on BJP leader in Srinagar

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: A policeman was shot dead by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists Thursday morning in an attempted attack on a local BJP leader in the outskirts of Srinagar city, police said.

    One of the four terrorists disguised himself as a woman wearing ‘Burqa’ (veil) and approached the main door of the residence of BJP leader Anwar Ahmad in Arigam Nowgam here, requesting for a meeting, a police official said.

    The official said Ahmad — who is the BJP’s district general secretary for Baramulla and incharge for Kupwara district — was not present in the house as he is in Jammu.

    “As soon as the main door was opened, the terrorists fired indiscriminately, killing a sentry, identified as Rameez Raja, on the spot,” he said.

    Raja was taken to SMHS hospital here, where doctors declared him brought dead.

    The terrorists, fearing retaliatory firing from the other guards inside the residence, left the spot after coming to know that the BJP leader was not present in the house, the official said, adding, however, they decamped with a SLR rifle.

    The attack comes three days after terrorists gunned down a block development council (BDC) member and his personal security guard in Sopore area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

    BDC member Reyaz Ahmad, affiliated with the BJP, and his personal security guard Shafqat Ahmad had died on the spot in the indiscriminate firing by militants who had barged into the premises of Sopore Municipal Council where a meeting of the council was going on.

    Another councilor, Shamsuddin Peer, was injured and later died at a hospital here.

    Kashmir Inspector General of Police (IGP) Vijay Kumar said the four militants belonging to the LeT carried out the attack on the BJP leader’s residence.

    Kumar said one of the four militants was wearing a ‘Burqa’ (veil) and imitated a woman’s voice while asking for opening the main door at the residence of the BJP leader.

    “There was one sentry on the main door and two cops in the guard room. As is clear from the CCTV footage, one terrorist wearing a ‘Burqa’ knocked on the main door and asked, imitating a woman’s voice, for opening it,” the IGP told reporters on the sidelines of a wreathlaying ceremony of the slain cop.

    Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, K Pandurang Pole and other senior officers from police, central armed paramilitary forces and civil administration also paid floral tributes to the slain cop at the Police Control Room here.

    Kumar said two militants out of the four militants have been identified.

    “Initially, we thought the one wearing a ‘Burqa’ was a lady, but when we analysed the CCTV footage closely, we found that it was not a lady, but a male and a terrorist. Two out of the four have been identified and are from Srinagar city.

    “They belong to the LeT outfit. One of them is Shahid Khurshid Dar, he is from Chanapora and is a categorized terrorist. The other is Obaid Shafi Dar.

    They both joined the LeT last year along with four others,” he said.

    The IGP said the security forces will neutralise the attackers soon ‘after generating pinpoint intelligence’.

    Meanwhile, the attack evoked widespread condemnations from political parties.

    Condemning the attack, National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah expressed concern over the “deteriorating security environment” in the Kashmir valley.

    Omar prayed for peace to the soul of the deceased and expressed unison with the bereaved family on their irreparable loss.

    The BJP condemned the militant attack, saying such incidents cannot weaken democracy in Jammu and Kashmir.

    National General Secretary of the BJP and in-charge Jammu and Kashmir, Tarun Chungh, expressed anguish over this “highly deplorable” incident and stressed that exemplary punishment will be ensured to the killers of the policeman.

    “These repeated terror attacks cannot weaken democracy in the region,” he said in an apparent reference to similar attacks in the past on the party leaders, some of whom have lost their lives.

    Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina also condemned the attack and said the whole humanity is feeling shocked and ashamed on such incidents.

    “Being soldiers of democracy, the social and political activists work tirelessly in strengthening the democracy, but terrorists, their bosses and their sympathisers do not want people to prosper,” he said.

    Jammu and Kashmir BJP General Secretary (Organisation) Ashok Kaul said those who attacked Khan’s residence and killed the innocent policeman would not be spared.

    He demanded BJP workers be given proper security, so that they will not become easy targets for anti-national elements.

    Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) strongly condemned the killing and expressed serious concern over the “deteriorating situation in the valley”.

    In a statement, the JKPCC described the incident as “cowardice and shameful act”.

    The party also expressed serious concern over the frequent militant attacks in Kashmir and emphasized on the government to take more effective measures to contain such mindless attacks and ensure that there is no further loss of life.

    The party is highly concerned about the loss of lives, the JKPCC said, conveying deepest condolences to the family of the slain cop.

  • SGPC failed to stop Sikhs from converting to Christianity: BJP leader RP Singh

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: BJP spokesperson RP Singh hit out at the SGPC on Thursday for passing a resolution against the RSS, saying the SAD-ruled panel failed to stop the conversion of Sikhs into Christianity and it was the Sangh that ran a “Ghar Wapsi” programme for the converts.

    The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) General House passed a resolution on Tuesday against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological mentor of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging that it is attempting to establish a “Hindu Rashtra” (Hindu country).

    Reacting to the resolution, Singh said, “The SGPC has miserably failed to stop Sikhs from converting to Christianity in Punjab. To cover up their failure, they keep raising the false bogey of Hindu Rashtra. I challenge the SGPC president to present one case of a Sikh lured by Hindus to convert.”

    Himself a Sikh, Singh asked how many times did the SGPC issue statements or act against Sikhs being lured by missionaries to convert and how many converted Sikhs were brought back to the fold of Sikhism.

    “Rather, it was the RSS that used to run the ‘Ghar Wapsi’ campaign and bring converts back to the fold,” he claimed.

    The SGPC, led by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bibi Jagir Kaur, perhaps for the first time passed a resolution against the RSS, though earlier, office-bearers of the committee had individually given statements against the Sangh.

  • Bodoland Peoples Front candidate joins BJP in the midst of polls in Assam

    By PTI
    GUWAHATI: Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF) candidate Rangja Khungur Basumatary Thursday joined BJP ahead of the third phase of poll in Assam when the constituency in which he is a contestant is slated to go to the poll.

    Basumatary had reportedly gone missing for two days and at around midnight on Wednesday, senior BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma had tweeted that he had met the BPF candidate, who would join the saffron party.

    BPF is an ally of the opposition Congress in Assam, where two out of the slated three phased poll got over on Thursday.

    “Official candidate of BPF and so called Congress-led alliance from Tamulpur LAC (legislative assembly constituency), Sri Ram Das Basumatary met me a short while ago. He has expressed his desire to Join @BJP4India and retire from the election,” Sarma tweeted.

    Rangja Khungur Basumatary is also known as Ram Das Basumatary.

    Basumatary told a local TV channel that he had decided to resign from BPF as the party did not lend any helping hand to him during the campaign.

    Efforts made to contact him failed as his phone was switched off.

    A statement by the Congress confirmed that Basumatary has joined the BJP on Thursday.

    Tamulpur constituency is in Baksa district under Bodoland Territorial Region and will go to the poll during the third phase on April 6.

    Reacting to the development, Congress MP Manish Tiwari said that Basumatary had gone missing due to threatening by BJPN and lambasted the saffron party for it.

    Never in India did such immoral activities take place during elections – you (BJP) threatened to use the National Investigation Agency against the party and the candidate.

    “You(BJP) want to win the poll by wrong means. This is a fascist mentality and it is BJP’s education. That party does not believe in democracy and democratic systems. This is absolutely the worst spectare of fascism that is on display in the Assam polls,” he told a press conference here.

    Tiwari demanded that the BJP government in the state tell the people what had happened to Basumatary for two days.

    “I demand a detailed probe into the incident by Election Commission. How come such an incident took place in front of the EC? Is the EC blindfolded?” the Congress leader said.

    AICC spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said a Congress delegation will meet the EC Thursday evening to seek deferment of voting in Tamulpur constituency and disqualification of Sarma, a senior Assam minister, from contesting and further campaigning for the state poll as he is a “repeat offender” of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).

    Vallabh questioned why the EC was not checking Basumatary’s call records to find his whereabouts.

    “We demand that the call records of Basumatary be made public so that the people of Assam get to know what coercion, intimidation or what proposal forced him to join hands with the BJP,” Vallabh said.

    Commenting on the EC notice to Sarma for allegedly threatening BPF chief Hagrama Mohilary with using the NIA against him, Tiwari said “The EC issued the notice because it is convinced that such threatening language is not acceptable.

    “The EC prima facie found him guilty. It is a conspiracy against the candidate. It is an attempt to subvert the election process. They (BJP) don’t believe in democracy and that is why they are resorting to such practice of threatening a candidate who is in the poll contest.

    Sarma had said that he had got evidence of Mohilary’s alleged links with the recent recoveries of arms in Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) and the case was being given to the NIA for investigation.

    Later the state Director General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta had reportedly said that there was evidence of militant and his group in the arms recovery.

    “We ask the Gujarati Mama (referring to Sarma’s allegiance to BJP and that he is popularly called ‘Mama’) when did that evidence come? If it came before the MCC came into force, then why were you silent? It means you were indulging in a criminal offence. If it came after the MCC came into force, then how and who gave the evidence to you because police now reports to the Election Commission.

    “Yesterday the DGP said that he has all the information. Is it a coincidence or deliberate? DGP Sir why are you not taking any action? Who has tied your hands? By making such statements, you are not strengthening the democracy, but weakening it,” Vallabh added.

  • PM Modi makes strong Hindutva pitch in Bengal, slams TMC over antipathy for ‘chotiwalas’

    By PTI
    JOYNAGAR: Making a strong Hindutva pitch at the hustings in West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday attacked TMC leaders for calling those wearing saffron, sporting tilak and choti as “rakshas”, and declared he does not believe in “seasonal faith”.

    He also said a BJP wave was blowing across West Bengal where the party will win over 200 of the state’s 294 assembly seats.

    “Earlier, Mamata Didi had issues with chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’, over immersion of Durga idols. Now TMC has problems with people wearing saffron, sporting tilak and choti (tuft of hair), they are calling them ‘rakshas’ (demons),” Modi told an election rally in Joynagar.

    He was referring to the recent public declaration by Banerjee of her “gotra” (clan), an unusual thing for the Bengal leader to do, during the campaigning for the Nandigram seat. The revelation had prompted Union Minister Giriraj Singh, who sports a choti, to ask,” Do you consider Rohingyas and other infiltrators as ‘Shandilya’ (Banerjee’s gotra) and offer them the red carpet.

    Singh’s comment invited a sharp retort from TMC MP Mohua Moitra.

    “Giriraj says Mamata’s from Rohingya clan. Proud of it. Far better than being from the chotiwala rakshasa clan,” Moitra tweeted.

    Singh often identifies himself as “Shandilya” on social media.

    The prime minister also hit back at the TMC for calling his Bangladesh trip unethical and violative of the model code of conduct for elections and defended his visits to temples there.

    The TMC had written to the Election Commission alleging that Modi’s recent visit to Bangladesh violated the model code of conduct in place for the West Bengal Assembly polls and some of his programmes there were “intended to influence the voting pattern” in certain constituencies.

    “I visited one of the 51 Shaktipeeth Jeshoreshwari Kali temple in Bangladesh. TMC has taken umbrage.

    Is it wrong to pay obeisance to Shri Harichand Thakur (founder of the Matua sect) at Orakandi? “I don’t believe in showing seasonal faith (shraddha). We always take pride in our faith and tradition,” he asserted.

    The Matuas, a Dalit community, wields considerable influence in several districts of West Bengal and can tilt the scales in favour of any party in quite a few seats.

    He also mounted a scathing assault on the TMC supremo for her accusations against “people of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh”.

    “You have taken oath of the Constitution which doesn’t permit you to speak against other states or people of other states,” he said, obviously referring to Banerjee’s claim that BJP has brought goons from UP and Bihar to influence the ouctome of the election in Nandigram where she is pitted against her former confidante-turned-rival Suvendu Adhikari.

    Taunting Banerjee for her decision to relinquish her Bhawanipore seat and contest from Nandigram, Modi said she is now realising that she committed a mistake.

    “The mood that prevails indicates Nandigram is doing at the very outset what Bengal wants to do,” he said.

    Nandigram is among the state’s 30 assembly seats where polling is underway on Thursday.

    The prime minister said Banerjee’s appeal to 14 leaders of other parties to unite against the BJP stemmed from her anxiety over impending defeat.

    “She is seeking support from people who in her eyes are outsiders and tourists and whom she would not have the time to meet earlier,” Modi said.

    “For Didi, Bengal is a playground, but for BJP the state will be the ground for development, education and industries,” he said.