Kolkata, April 20 (IANS) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will bring an end to the rule of hooligans in West Bengal if it comes to power in the state after the forthcoming Assembly polls.

“There was enough scope for the state government to carry out development activities. At one point in time, there were investors to invest in West Bengal. But you have seen what the hooligans have done in the state. BJP is determined to end this rule of hooligans in the state if it comes to power. No one can deny the manner in which corruption in West Bengal had become rampant during the 15 years of the Trinamool Congress regime,” the Defence Minister said while addressing a campaign rally at Sainthia in Birbhum district of the state.

He also gave a latent caution of grave consequences for the hooligans if the BJP is voted into power. “The common people will now have to decide whether they want this reign of fear and terror to continue or whether they want relief from this. If you bring the BJP to power in the state, the hooligans will either go up or will be behind bars,” said Singh.

The Union Minister also said that the women in West Bengal will teach Trinamool Congress a lesson because of conspiring with other political parties to block the Women’s Reservation (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha.

“Our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, wanted to give reservations to women in the Lok Sabha and Assemblies. It will surely happen in the future. Trinamool, Congress, Samajwadi Party, DMK, and the other opposition parties opposed it. So in this election, the women in West Bengal will teach the Trinamool Congress a lesson,” Singh said.

He also said that after participating in various campaign programmes in West Bengal, he has understood that the people want a BJP-ruled government in the state this time.

“We will form the government with an absolute majority. For the last 15 years, an atmosphere of fear and terror has been created everywhere in West Bengal. The people of Bengal have given the Trinamool government 15 years. That much time was enough to carry out development activities. There are many states in the country that have done remarkable developmental work in the last five to eight years. Earlier, the contribution of West Bengal’s financial system to the country’s economy was 10 per cent. Now it has come down to below 5 per cent. So, West Bengal urgently needs a change,” said Singh.

–IANS

src/dpb