BJP's Rath Yatra not to change CM but situation in Bengal: Amit Shah in Coochbehar

Shah said countering West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's allegations that the BJP leaders are feasting in the "five-star hotel-like Rath".

Addressing a rally in Coochbehar, Shah said, "We've started the fourth Poriborton Yatra today from Cooch Behar. Trinamool says that Bengal is running alright, why do we need Poriborton Yatra? This is not to change a Chief Minister, this Yatra is to change the situation in Bengal."

"This Poriborton Yatra is to free the state from infiltration, unemployment, bomb blasts, and bring a change in the state of farmers in the state. This 'Poriborton Yatra' is a journey towards building Sonar Bangla," he added.

Addressing a rally at Raiganj in north Bengal, Banerjee, who heads the ruling Trinamool Congress supremo, on Wednesday said, "There is no idol in the rath. They are feasting inside the rath.

"I have no problem if the rath is carrying the idols of Jagannath, Balaram, Subhadra. Why would BJP leaders be there? Are they bigger than Jagannath, Balaram, Subhadra, Krishna?"

"They are feasting on public money. This is a shame in the name of Gods. They are doing immortal things," she added.

The Rath Yatra, dubbed as Poriborton Yatra by the BJP, was launched by the saffron party chief Jagat Prakash Nadda last week.

In a bid to consolidate the BJP's massive gain in the votebank in north Bengal, Shah on Thursday made a number of announcements, besides assuring loads of promises in the poll manifesto which will be released after the elections are declared.

"We are also building a tourist circuit, which will have the Madan Mohan mandir in Cooch Behar and other mandirs from the region as well," he said and added, "PM Modi, in this year's budget, has announced a package of Rs 2,000 crore for all such people. Schools, houses, public health centres and other such facilities would be set up by our government."

In another attack on the Trinamool Congress government for stalling the Centre's farmers scheme, Shah said PM Kisan Samman Nidhi will be implemented in the first cabinet meeting if the BJP comes to power.

However, Banerjee has repeatedly blamed the central government for not transferring funds to 2.5 lakh farmers in the state even after getting their names registered.

Slamming the Trinamool supremo over the "Jai Shree Ram" row, Shah said, "She has made chanting 'Jai Shree Ram' as if it's a crime in Bengal! She feels insulted by this. We want to know why?"

Reminding her scene of shouting at some men raising "Jai Shree Ram" slogans while she was travelling in her car in 2019, Banerjee during a central government's programme to celebrate Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's 125th birth anniversary on Jan 23 in Kolkata skipped her speech after the slogan was raised when she was about to speak.