Kolkata, Aug 22 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flayed the TMC and the INDIA bloc, accusing them of appeasement politics, shielding infiltrators and opposing the Centre’s bid to bar leaders from holding office while in jail, as he vowed to oust illegal immigrants and the TMC government to ensure Bengal’s development.

Addressing a massive rally at Dum Dum in North 24 Parganas district, Modi said the state was staring at a “social crisis” as infiltration was altering its demography, usurping the land of farmers and tribals, and straining the economy.

In the same breath, he lambasted the opposition alliance INDIA, including the TMC, for protesting against the 130th Constitution Amendment Bill, which seeks to bar prime ministers, chief ministers and ministers from holding office if they remain in jail for 30 days or more.

“This country can no longer tolerate infiltrators. We will not allow them to stay in India. Those who have come here to snatch livelihoods and stayed by fraudulently obtaining documents... they will have to leave. And for this to happen honestly, the TMC government, too, has to go,” Modi said.

He underscored that the challenge of infiltration was so serious that he had raised the issue from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence Day, and announced a “special demography mission” against the illegal immigrants.

Linking infiltration to the safety of women and the integrity of border districts, he warned, “Infiltrators are torturing our mothers and sisters. The way the demography is being altered in the border areas is creating a social crisis in Bengal. The country cannot tolerate this; it must be stopped.” Training his guns at the INDIA bloc for opposing the 130th Constitution Amendment Bill, Modi said “they are angry and afraid because they know their power rests on a mountain of corruption”.

“We decided to bring in a law to dismiss a corrupt chief minister or even a prime minister if they spend 30 days in jail. But, the TMC and Congress began protesting. They even tried to tear up the Bill on the Parliament floor. They want the corrupt to be protected,” he alleged.

It is a shame that even a chief minister, after going to jail, has run the government from behind the bars, Modi remarked, in an apparent dig at former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

Targeting the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government, he said, “Two ministers, even after going to jail on corruption charges, were not willing to give up their posts. Those arrested over allegations of corruption cannot remain in government while in jail. This is an insult of the Constitution. Modi will not allow that.” Reacting sharply, the TMC accused Modi of “hypocrisy” and charged that the controversial Bill was less about curbing graft and more about “eliminating the Opposition”.

“Big words from someone whose party has 94 MPs facing criminal cases, including 63 with serious charges, and whose cabinet has 28 ministers with cases ranging from attempted murder to crimes against women. The BJP runs on an E² policy: misusing the ECI to disenfranchise voters and weaponising the ED to run witch-hunts,” Minister Shashi Panja said.

“Are you trying to eliminate corruption or eliminate the Opposition?” she asked at a press conference here.

Modi, however, defended the proposed law as a step to plug glaring loopholes.

“If a government employee is arrested and denied bail within 50 hours, he or she is automatically suspended. But, no such provisions exist for ministers or chief ministers, allowing some to stoop so low that they attempt to run governments from behind bars. This Bill is to protect democracy, not to weaken it,” he asserted.

Even if a prime minister goes to jail, even he will also have to vacate the office, Modi said.

Highlighting his government’s track record, the PM said the country had waged a determined battle against corruption for the past 11 years, and the new Bill marks a significant step forward.

“Those who throw people’s sentiments and the sanctity of the Constitution to the wind cannot be allowed to remain in chair,” he said.

Seeking to strike a chord with Bengali identity, he emphasised his government’s contribution to the promotion of the Bangla language.

“The BJP government is fully committed to empowering the Bangla language and culture with great pride. It is our privilege that we could grant Bangla the status of a Classical Language,” he said.

Modi accused the Mamata Banerjee government of blocking central schemes, stalling urban growth, and betraying the very slogan of ‘Maa, Mati, Manush’ that once propelled it to power.

He said decades of Congress, Left and TMC “misrule” has left the state lagging, and referred to the recruitment scam, rising crimes against women and corruption in Bengal.

“The future of the state’s youth has been jeopardised, and development will remain stunted as long as TMC stays in power,” he said.

Referring to global developments, Modi said that “even the so-called developed countries have upped their ante against infiltrators. These countries, despite having no shortage of resources, can no longer tolerate infiltrators. Then, how can Bengal and India bear it?” Calling for a “transformative change,” the PM urged the people of Bengal to wield their votes in next year’s assembly polls as weapons of that change.

“The power to ensure that infiltrators leave and corruption ends rests with you. Only your vote can make it happen. The time has come for Bengal’s youth to get a fresh start,” he said.

PTI PNT SMY AMR BDC PNT RBT