Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, alleging that both represented similar models of governance marked by corruption and intimidation.
Addressing a public meeting in Hooghly, Gandhi said Mamata Banerjee was “no less corrupt” than Modi and accused both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of fostering an environment of fear and lawlessness.
“What Modi does at the national level, Mamata does at the state level,” he said, alleging that while the BJP intimidates opponents, “TMC goons” target Congress workers in West Bengal.
The Congress leader claimed that the BJP’s rise in Bengal had been facilitated by the state government’s alleged corruption and governance failures.
“If Bengal is threatened by the BJP’s advent today, it is because Mamata created an opportunity for them with corruption and lawlessness,” he said.
Gandhi referred to alleged irregularities in the Saradha and Rose Valley chit fund scams, claiming that leaders of the ruling party in the state were involved.
He also cited the RG Kar Medical College incident, alleging that the state government had failed to act against those responsible, drawing parallels with what he described as the Centre’s alleged protection of leaders accused in crimes against women.
Recalling West Bengal’s industrial past, Gandhi said the state, once a hub of industry during the Congress era, had witnessed decline under successive Left and TMC governments, leading to unemployment.
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He claimed that lakhs of people had applied for unemployment assistance in the state, reflecting economic distress.
Positioning the Congress as the principal challenger to the BJP, Gandhi asserted that only his party could defeat Modi at the national level.
“Modi knows that it is the Congress that can challenge and defeat him and not Mamata or the TMC,” he said.
He alleged that while he himself had faced multiple legal cases, loss of official residence and prolonged questioning, no such action had been taken against the West Bengal Chief Minister.
“Modi attacks Mamata only during elections and this stops afterwards,” he claimed.
Describing the contest as an ideological battle, Gandhi said the Congress stood for “peace, unity, harmony and love”, while accusing the BJP of spreading “hatred, violence and fear”.
He further alleged that the Prime Minister was under external pressure, claiming that decisions taken by the government reflected influence from global actors.
Gandhi urged voters in West Bengal to support the Congress, saying it alone could counter the BJP and its ideological affiliates at the national level.
Several senior Congress leaders, including AICC general secretary G A Mir and state unit president Subankar Sarkar, were present at the rally.
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