Kulpi (WB), Jun 25: Mamata Banerjee, who recently mooted the idea of a Federal Front of non-Congress and non-BJP regional parties,Monday predicted that the next Lok Sabha poll would be held ahead of schedule and expressed confidence that regional parties would form the government.
“The UPA government will go in three to four month's time and regional parties will form the government at the Centre after the next Lok Sabha election. The ruling coalition will decide how the states would run,” Banerjee told a panchayat election rally here in South 24-Paraganas district.
Accusing the UPA government of discriminating against the state, she said the Centre was deducting Rs 25,000 crore from the state for the 2.5 lakh loans taken by the previous government.
“Why should we pay Rs 25,000 crore as interest payment for the loan taken by the previous government? Why did the Centre allow the previous Left Front government to take such a huge amount of loan. When the next government will come we will stop making such payment and create 10 lakh jobs instead.
Continuing to slam a section of the media including some local TV news channels for spreading canards against her government, she said, “They are targeting me because I come from a ordinary family”.
With her government coming under attack from the intellectuals, opposition and the media for the rising rape incidents in the state, she said, “Two or three incidents (rape) have happened which are unfortunate. But my government has swiftly taken action.”
“In Malda, the (rape) incident happened in April and my government got the culprits charge sheeted in 27 days. This is called good governance. This is paribartan (change).”
Referring to the Barasat rape and murder, she said, “The Barasat incident is tragic, but we arrested the accused within 24 hours. My government has done its bit.”
Attacking a section of the media and her critics for “blowing things out of proportion”, she asked the women who came in large numbers to listen to her whether they felt safe.
The women responded immediately with a big “yes”.
She said women were being disrespected and maligned by the wrong impression created that they cannot not go out freely on the streets of Bengal.
“Girls are our treasure, boys are our pride,” she said, adding, “all my brothers are not bad.”
She alleged that the report of the National Crime Bureau of Records which said that West Bengal topped the list of states in terms of crimes against women was prepared at the behest of Congress.
“The report of the National Crime Bureau of Records was nothing but a Congress report. Different central agencies were being used by the Centre against the state government in West Bengal,” she said.
She said earlier during the Left Front regime, the women were not allowed to file FIRs. The number of recorded crimes were high as women could now file FIRs after her government took office in 2011.
Continuing her tirade against TV talks show panelists of some local news channels which were critical of her, she alleged that “they were paid money to tell what they did”.
She also alleged that the CPI(M), the Congress, the BJP and the Maoists had conspired to kill her after being unable to compete with her politically and on development matters.
“I am not afraid to die. If one Mamata Banerjee is killed, one crore Mamata Banerjee(s) would be born,” she said and challenged the Maoists to come and kill her “if they have guts. I respect the Leftists but I am against those who kill people hiding their faces with cloths. They are goondas.
“They have formed a dangerous jote. We have formed people's grand alliance,” she said while alleging that Opposition did not want the panchayat elections to take place.
“They have gone to the court as they do not want panchayat election to take place,” she said.
