The chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, today accused the Centre of “hatching conspiracies” to topple governments in Opposition-ruled states by employing federal agencies and money power. The State BJP leadership feels that Trinamul reign will collapse in the upcoming 2021 polls. The chief minister, during her address today on the occasion of Martyr’s Day, branded the BJP as the “most destructive” party and an “outsider”.

Invoking Bengali sub-nationalism, she said the state should not be ruled by “Gujarat and outsiders” but by the “people of the soil”. She alleged that the Union government is planning a coup in West Bengal to overthrow the elected government. Backing her suspicions, she added, “A conspiracy is being hatched by the union government to destabilise the elected government of Bengal, using central agencies and money power.”

“When the country is occupied in fighting the Covid pandemic, the BJP is preoccupied with destabilisation of elected governments in Rajasthan and West Bengal, after Madhya Pradesh,” she said, adding “Why should Gujarat rule all states? We won’t tolerate the rule of two brothers (read Narendra Modi and Amit Shah).What is the need for a federal structure then? Create a ‘one nation-one party’ system then.”

Miss Banerjee promised that Bengal will scale new heights if the people vote Trinamul to power in the upcoming assembly elections, due next year. “People of Bengal will rule the state and not outsiders and people from Gujarat. We should strive to ensure that security deposits of all the BJP candidates get forfeited,” she said.

She lashed out at the Centre for allegedly “maligning, insulting and depriving” the people of West Bengal and asked the latter to instead talk about the “jungle raj and encounter raj” prevailing in Uttar Pradesh. She claimed people in Uttar Pradesh are afraid to even lodge a police complaint after being threatened with murder while the police is also being gunned down. Referring to the recent incident where gangsters of Vikas Dubey killed policemen and subsequently, Dubey was later encountered, she said “the main culprit was killed in a so-called encounter to hide the truth,” she said.

By saying that people of West Bengal have not forgotten “how innocent people were killed during the Delhi riots and genuine citizens thrown into detention camps in Assam”, Banerjee insinuated that National Population Register (NPR) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) could be TMC’s major electoral planks in the assembly polls. Banerjee alleged the NPR and NRC were tools to create rift between communities.

“An attempt is being made to stir up communal disharmony. A party is trying to incite Hindu-Muslim riots. Remember that people of all faiths are equal. This country…. Bengal…is for all,” Banerjee said. Meanwhile, Bengal BJP’s state president and MP, Dilip Ghosh said, “TMC government led by chief minister Mamata Banerjee will be decimated in the 2021 Assembly election as people are fed up of syndicate raj and corruption.”

Ghosh alleged Mamata Banerjee came to power by bluffing the people with false promises and got exposed during her nine year reign. He claimed she is now scared of the downfall awaiting her in the upcoming election. She fears her party will be split, apprehended Ghosh.