Modi attacks Mamata over Ayushman Bharat, says TMC government against poor

The Prime Minister, while addressing a rally in steel-city Durgapur on Saturday, said Mamata got scared after a person, who got cured due to Ayushman Bharat (healthcare scheme), praised Modi.

Referring to the West Bengal Chief Minister's decision to pull the state out of Ayushman Bharat, Modi said: "West Bengal could've been the largest beneficiary of Ayushman Bharat. But, the local government snatched it from the poor people of Bengal."

"A government which betrays the poor can never benefit anyone. Those who play with the lives of the poor should be punished," he added while attacking the TMC government.

Ayushman Bharat was started by the BJP government on Sept 23, 2018.

Mamata had taken the step after finding only Modi's picture was going on the letter being sent by the Centre to beneficiary families. The Centre, however, has argued it had followed all norms.

Modi, who referred to Mamata as "Didi" multiple times during his slightly less than an hour speech in Durgapur, also took on the Chief Minister over her decision to emulate her Andhra Pradesh counterpart in preventing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from entering the state.

In his trade-mark sarcastic tone, the Prime Minister said: "Didi why are you so afraid of investigating agencies if you are innocent? I never prevented CBI when I was ruling Gujarat because I had nothing to fear."

Attacking the TMC government over the alleged "syndicate raj" in the state, Modi, who raised the similar issue in Thakurnagar rally earlier in the day, said: "The world knows that the TMC doesn't even touch those projects where the syndicate doesn't earn."

Mamata's "United India Rally" was also on Modi's list of issues to target the Opposition.

Mocking several opposition parties' presence in the mega rally, which was hosted by the TMC supremo on Jan 19 in Kolkata, the Prime Minister said: "The people who were on the stage at Brigade didn't use to see each other face to face 4 years ago. Now, they were hugging each other. They are afraid of this chowkidaar."

Highlighting the advantages of the interim union budget presented by acting Finance Minister, Piyush Goyal a day ago, Modi indirectly allured people to vote in favour of the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

"Yesterday's budget was just a trailer. After the elections, we will announce more such things in the full budget which will design the New India," Modi said.

While West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh urged people to make BJP victorious in minimum 23 seats in the forthcoming General Elections, Modi, on the same dais, gave a call to uproot Mamata government, which is two years away from completing its second term.

"Mamata government will have to go at any cost," he said.

Stating the growth of the BJP, which emerged distant but main challenger to the TMC in recent bypolls, in West Bengal has unnerved Mamata, Modi said: "People's love for BJP gave sleepless nights to Mamata."

Image credit: West Bengal BJP Twitter