Accusing Mamata Banerjee of indulging in politics over the dead, Modi said the flyover tragedy was 'god's message' to people to save Bengal from Trinamool

Madarihat (West Bengal): Accusing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of indulging in politics over the dead, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the Kolkata flyover tragedy was "God's message" to people to save Bengal from the Trinamool Congress.

"The flyover collapsed, such a big tragedy; if some chief goes what does he or she do; they try to save people, assist in rescue work. But what did Didi (Banerjee) do? The first thing she did was to declare that it was the Left Front that gave the contract (for the project).

"Forget Left or Right, think about those who are dying, Didi," said Modi referring to the 31 March Vivekananda flyover collapse in Kolkata which killed 26 people.

"At least give respect to the dead; but for Didi, it's the chair which is only visible and not the dying people.

"Look at the shamelessness; it was such a massive tragedy but she started a blame game," he said, about the project which was conceived and the contract awarded during the previous Left Front regime.

"I want to ask Didi, if this flyover would have been completed and while inaugurating it, would you have said the contract was given by the Left? No, you would have taken the credit for it. Now that it has collapsed, you are blaming others. This is all part of your business of money and death," the prime minister said addressing a party rally here in Alipurduar district.

Castigating Banerjee over the multi-crore rupee Saradha scam and the recent sting operation in which several Trinamool leaders were allegedly caught taking bribes, Modi said the Trinamool government was caught up in the "business of money and business of death".

Calling the tragedy an "act of fraud", Modi said: "They are saying it is an act of god, but actually it is an act of fraud.

"It is an act of god in the sense that it happened during election time so that people may know what kind of government she has been running. God has sent a message to the people - that today this bridge has collapsed, tomorrow she will finish off entire Bengal. God's message to you all is to save Bengal," said Modi appealing to the people to give one chance to the BJP in the state elections.

He also charged Banerjee with undermining the welfare of the state by not attending meets convened by the central government.

"I wonder what kind of chief minister is she. Whenever the central government calls a meeting on important subjects, where all the states can put forth their issues and demands, she has always skipped them because those meetings are called by Modi."

Pointing to Banerjee's "closeness" to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Modi also ridiculed the Left Front-Congress tie up.

"She doesn't come to Delhi to attend meetings called by Modi. But whenever she comes to Delhi, she never forgets to meet Sonia Gandhi," he alleged.

"You have seen enough of the Left and the Trinamool both of which have done everything to destroy Bengal. Give one chance to BJP and we will show you what development means," added Modi, claiming that all the states in which his party was in power have witnessed all round development.