KOLKATA: Union Minister Amit Shah on Saturday called on Bengal’s tribal communities to “revenge” President Durupati Murmu’s insults against her during her visit to Bengal last month by voting, stepping up the BJP’s outreach in tribal areas while promising to appoint a “son of the soil” as chief minister if the BJP forms the government.“Murmuji came to Bengal to meet members of the tribal community and Mamataji insulted her. I appeal to every tribal brother and sister to avenge the insult. She cannot accept that a poor tribal daughter becomes the president,” Shah said at Chatna in Bankura.
Murmu’s visit was marred by controversy with the TMC government allegedly changing the scheduled venue of the Santal meeting which lacked proper arrangements and CM Mamata also missing the event, triggering allegations of protocol violation.Addressing a rally in Purulia’s Chatna and Baghmundi districts, two districts with large tribal populations, Shah accused the TMC of dividing Santals and Kurmis for 15 years and of neglecting tribal communities along with the Congress for decades. “Neither Mamata nor the Congress elected a member of the tribal community as president. Modi decided to make the Santhal sisters the president,” he said.He also promised to include Kurmalli and Rajbanshi in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, labeled land grabs by “love jihadists” and so-called “infiltrators”, and said the BJP would deport illegal immigrants after taking office. Shah targeted Mamata, accusing her of playing the “victim card”. “People are not going to vote for her this time,” he said. He attacked the TMC for “corruption” and “syndicate rule”, alleged that central funds were being misappropriated and promised action to ensure justice for women who suffered atrocities.
