Attempts being made to turn West Bengal into 'West Bangladesh', alleges Mithun

Cooch Behar (WB), Jan 2 (PTI) BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty on Friday alleged that attempts were being made to turn West Bengal into "West Bangladesh", but those efforts would never be successful.

Addressing a public meeting in Cooch Behar district, the Bollywood star also criticised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her comments about Union Home Minister Amit Shah, stating that this is not a different country as she may be thinking.

"While addressing a public meeting in Bankura district, the CM threatened the home minister of India and said that she allowed him to come out of the hotel where he was staying in Kolkata. I wish she would say clearly that the home minister will not be allowed in Bengal, that day will spell doom," he said.

"This is not a different country as she may be thinking," he added.

Pointing to his 'The Kashmir Files' film that portrayed the exodus of Kashmiri pandits from the Kashmir Valley in the 1990s, Chakraborty alleged that similar attempts were being made in Bengal.

"Attempts are being made to turn West Bengal into West Bangladesh," he alleged, noting that singer Lagnajita Chakraborty was harassed for singing a song praising the mother goddess.

"They may think it has become Bangladesh, but that day will never come. As long as people like Mithun Chakraborty have a drop of blood in their body, this state will never become Bangladesh. We believe in the Constitution, and that is why we have kept ourselves under control," he said.

Chakraborty said the only way to uproot the TMC government is for everyone to come together.

He urged Congress, Left and TMC supporters "with conscience" to join forces to change the government in the forthcoming elections.

He claimed there is no enterprise, industry, jobs, or proper healthcare infrastructure in the state.

"Except for corruption, there is nothing in this state," he alleged.

Chakraborty said it hurts him that the Mamata Banerjee government did not introduce the Centre's Ayushman Bharat healthcare scheme, as "it probably feels the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be enhanced".

"The first thing we will do after the BJP government comes to power in Bengal is to introduce the Ayushman Bharat scheme," he said. PTI AMR SOM