PM Modi writes to Bengal voters, promises economic revival
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written an open letter to West Bengal voters promising economic revival and development. The BJP has begun mass distribution of the letter ahead of Assembly elections, accusing the state government of blocking benefits of central schemes
Kolkata: The West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has commenced mass distribution of an open letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, written in Bengali and Hindi, among voters as part of its campaign ahead of the high-stakes Assembly elections scheduled for later this year.
In the letter, the Prime Minister accuses the Mamata Banerjee-led government and the ruling Trinamool Congress of attempting to deprive people of benefits from centrally sponsored schemes. He also claims that, despite obstacles from the state administration, many residents have still benefited from these programmes.
“Just a few months from now, the electoral fate of West Bengal will be decided. A structured decision on your part will decide the future of the next generation in the state. The people of West Bengal are victims of deprivation. My heart is equally pained by that. Hence, from the core of my heart, I want to make a promise today. The promise is to rebuild a developed and prosperous West Bengal,” the letter states in its opening passage.
In subsequent paragraphs, the Prime Minister lists welfare and development schemes introduced since 2014 by the National Democratic Alliance government led by him, asserting that these initiatives have benefited people across sectors in the state despite what he describes as non-cooperation from the state government.
“In the post-Independence era, West Bengal was the heart of India’s economy. But today my heart bleeds because of the sick and worn-out condition of the state’s economy. West Bengal has continued to suffer for the last six decades because of continuous misrule and encouragement of appeasement politics. On the one hand, educated youth are forced to settle elsewhere because of lack of employment opportunities. On the other hand, women in the state are in constant fear due to lack of safety and loss of dignity,” Modi wrote.
He also invokes the legacy of figures such as Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo, Rabindranath Tagore and Subhas Chandra Bose, stating that the state which once produced such icons is now facing challenges including alleged illegal infiltration, concerns over women’s safety and economic decline.
“But how long will you tolerate such things? A change is inevitable now. The livelihood of people in other states has improved significantly. Several people in those states have been lifted above the poverty level. The people of West Bengal deserve the same development. So let us get united to rebuild a developed West Bengal,” the PM says in the letter.
