Addressing a rally here, Union home minister Amit Shah wished chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s speedy recovery but scoffed at her questioning whether she could feel the pain of families of BJP workers who were killed during the TMC regime.

During the rally, Shah promised that, if voted to power, BJP government will implement the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations for state government employees.

“Didi (Banerjee), when you got hurt in your leg, you felt pain. I wish you a speedy recovery. But, what about the pain of the mothers of 130 BJP activists who were killed by TMC goons. Did you ever try to feel their pain? You never felt the pain of these people. They will give you a befitting reply while casting their votes in the assembly polls,” he said.

Shah said that if the BJP is voted to power in the state, it will ensure that the rights of the tribals are secured.

“TMC seeks cut money even for a tribal certificate. We will ensure the land rights of the tribals. The special focus will be on education, health and drinking water for the tribals in the area. We will also mention it in our manifesto,” he said.

Bankura has a significant tribal population, crucial to any party’s electoral success. Shah today made several attempts to ‘correct’ his earlier gaffe on Birsa Munda.

Shah likened Birsa with martyr Kshudiram Bose, Raghunath Murmu and Shardaprasad Kisku and said: “The Centre has consistently been trying to implement Forest Rights Act that is set to benefit the jungle resident tribal people but the Mamata Banerjee government has deliberately thwarting it.”

“Our tribal brothers and sisters wouldn’t have to pay Rs 100 ‘cut-money’ to leaders to procure caste certificates as your own men would be representing you in the state Assembly,” Shah said, referring to BJP candidates Kshudiram Tudu, Suidhangsu Hansda and Shyamal Sarkar contesting from Ranibandh, Raipur and Taldangra respectively, who were present on the dais and added that BJP’s manifesto would include a scheme for the Junglemahal villages.

“If BJP’s government assumes power in state, we shall introduce Minimum Support Price for buying the products from the tribal communities,” he said. Bibhison Hansda, who hosted Shah for lunch on 5 November 2020 at his home in Chaturdihi village however was not seen in today’s rally. The district BJP leaders didn’t respond on his absence.

Shah declared that Centre is set to create Adivasi model schools in each block. He also declared that BJP would secure a Rs 3,000 crore water project to facilitate irrigation of 39,000 hectares of parched Bankura farmlands exploring the Gandheswari Dwarakeswar rivers. He claimed: “Centre had allocated Rs 993 crore for augmentation of irrigation infrastructure in the state but the state misutilised the fund.”

Shah could not attend the slated election rally scheduled to hold at the tribal heartland, Jhargram in Junglemahal at 11 am today after a technical snag in his helicopter and around 1 pm, he, briefly, addressed the rally virtually. “I was going to come here for a campaign. Unfortunately, my helicopter was damaged. But, I assure you, I will meet you before the end of the election campaign,” Shah said while addressing by video conference from Kharagpur which lasted for just seven minutes. “My helicopter had a snag but I won’t call it a conspiracy,” he said, deriding Banerjee.