Modi unleashes development offensive in Bengal, Assam; alleges plot to defame Indian tea

Prime Minister NarendraModi Sunday descended on battleground West Bengal and Assam,unleashing a development offensive by launching and dedicatingto people a slew of projects involving over Rs 14,000 crore,and highlighting ''conspiracies'' to target India's soft powerlike tea and yoga.

Modi's visit to the two states, which are likely tohave assembly elections between March and May this year, washis second in a fortnight.

In Assam, he also pitched for setting up at least onemedical college and a technical institution in each state thatwill impart education in the native language.

He devoted his speech in Assam's Dhekiajuli largely tohis government's efforts for the state's development, but wasaggressive and acerbic in his criticism of the Mamata Banerjeegovernment in West Bengal's Haldia, where he said peopleexpected ''mamta'' (affection) from her but got ''nirmamta''(cruelty) instead.

The prime minister dedicated to the nation and laidthe foundation for projects involving a whopping Rs 9,310crore in Assam and over 4,700 crore in West Bengal,encompassing infrastructure like roads, oil and gas as alsomedical facilities.

However, tea was the flavour of his visit to the twoforemost producers of the brew.

Modi, who has often spoken about his past when he soldtea on trains as a young boy, alleged an ''internationalconspiracy'' was hatched to defame Indian tea and yoga.

''Documents have emerged to show that a conspiracyhas been hatched outside the country to defame Indian tea. Iam sure the tea workers of Assam will give a befitting reply.

''No tea garden worker in Assam can tolerate thisattack and I am sure they will win this fight against theseconspirators as they are stronger than these forces withvested interest,'' he asserted.

The prime minister was apparently referring to Swedishenvironmentalist Greta Thunberg's controversial 'toolkit',which she tweeted and then deleted, outlining ways in whichpeople can participate in the farmers protest.

One of the points reportedly mentioned there was to''disrupt yoga and chai image of India in general''.

He raked up the issue once again while addressing aBJP rally in West Bengal's Haldia.

''There are some conspirators who're trying to destroyIndia's image associated with tea and yoga-- made famous byiconic indians-- across the world. Has Didi spoken anythingabout these conspirators? The country will respond to suchconspiracies with all the force at its command,'' he said,targeting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Going hammer and tongs at Banerjee at his first publicrally in West Bengal ahead of the assembly polls, Modi accusedher of ''criminalising politics, institutionalising corruptionand politicising police''.

''Bengal expected 'mamta' (affection) from MamataBanerjee but got 'nirmamta' (cruelty) in the last 10 years...

The TMC government is just a rebirth of the misrule of theLeft Front government in the state, rebirth of corruption, ofcrime and criminals, of violence and attack on democracy'' healleged.

The TMC government has committed ''several fouls in thelast 10 years and the time has come to show it the 'Ram Card'in the assembly elections'', he said.

Cautioning people about ''match-fixing'' between theTMC, Congress and the Left, Modi said only a BJP governmentcan free the state of ''misgovernance'' and bring about a ''realchange'' in their lives as was being experienced in Tripura.

He assailed the West Bengal government for notimplementing central schemes like Ayushman Bharat and PM KisanSamman Nidhi in the state, and asserted that once the BJPformed its government it will take a decision at the veryfirst cabinet meeting to execute all such stalled programmes.

Mocking Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for gettingangry over slogans of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai', Modi wondered whyshe remained silent when conspiracies were hatched to malignthe country.

''She gets angry when she hears slogans hailing themotherland. She gets angry when you demand your rights. Butshe remains silent when conspiracies are hatched to malign thenation,'' he said.

Modi was referring to Banerjee's refusal to deliverher speech at a function to mark the 125th birthday of WestBengal's legendary freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Boseat Kolkata's Victoria Memorial after ''Jai Shri Ram' slogansgreeted her.

''There are some conspirators who're trying to destroyIndia's image associated with tea and yoga-- made famous byiconic indians-- across the world. Has Didi spoken anythingabout these conspirators? The country will respond to suchconspiracies with all the force at its command,'' he said.

Referring to the game of football, a hugely popularsport in Bengal, Modi said that the people of the state areready to show ''Ram Card'' to the TMC now.

''Bengal is a state that loves football. In footballparlance, I want to say that the TMC government has committedmany fouls. From corruption, misgovernance, extortion, toattack on opposition workers. The people are ready to showthem the Ram card.

''The people of Bengal will bid Ram-Ram to TMC andchant Jai Shri Ram to welcome the BJP,'' he said, addingTrinamool Congress leaders and workers wanting to work forthe country were quitting the state's ruling party andjoining the saffron camp.

In Assam's Dhekiajuli, Modi made a strong case forsetting up at least one medical college and a technicalinstitution in each state that will impart education in thenative language.

''I have a daring dream of each state having atleast one medical college and a technical institutionimparting education in the local language,'' he said, promisingsetting up such institutions in Assam after the assemblyelections.

He said this will improve medical services in remoteareas as more and more doctors will be able to reach out topeople in their mother tongue and understand their problems.

The two medical college and hospitals will come up inBiswanath and Charaideo districts.

In India, teaching and learning have largely been in aforeign language but that could change with the advent of theNational Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

''Taking inspiration from the National EducationPolicy, it will now be tried to teach all technical coursesincluding medical, engineering in mother tongue,'' Modi hadtweeted after the unveiling of the NEP.