Kolkata, July 18 (IANS) Little more than a couple of hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled address at a crucial political rally in the industrial township of Durgapur in West Burdwan district, the Trinamool Congress has posed five questions to him, focussing mainly on the alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states.

The Trinamool Congress leadership also ridiculed PM Modi for beginning his political tours to West Bengal, and challenged him to answer five questions during his scheduled political rally at Durgapur later in the day.

“The helicopter-giri has resumed, with PRadhan Mantri @narendramodi scheduled to hold a rally in Durgapur today. We hope he makes good use of the opportunity to answer a few straightforward questions,” read a statement issued by Trinamool Congress on Friday afternoon, which it posted on the wall of the party’s official X handle.

The first two questions are whether speaking Bangla was a crime, and if it was, did that make him a criminal, too, for singing the National Anthem and National Song, both written in Bangla.

“If no, why are Bengali-speaking citizens being detained and deported in BJP-ruled states” read the third question.

In the fourth question, Trinamool Congress had asked PM Modi to specify the provisions in the Indian Constitution that allowed alleged state-sponsored persecution based on language.

“And does the BJP truly believe this is how they’ll earn the mandate of the people of Bengal?” read the fifth and the final question.

At the same time, the Trinamool Congress had also given a reply to the X statement of the Prime Minister, which was posted on Thursday evening and where PM Modi claimed that since West Bengal is suffering due to the Trinamool Congress’ misrule, people of Bengal were viewing the BJP with hope and were convinced that only the party can deliver on development.

Replying to that X statement of the Prime Minister, Trinamool Congress made a counter statement claiming that the BJP was bringing their supporters from neighbouring states to fill the venue at PM Modi’s Durgapur rally later in the day.

“We hope you’re bussing in crowds from neighbouring Bihar, Odisha and Jharkhand again because the sight of the PRadhan Mantri addressing rows of empty chairs isn’t good optics. Best of luck filling the seats, if not hearts,” it said.

–IANS

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