Shah, BSF DG should resign if 'ghuspetiye' taking place in Bengal: Abhishek Banerjee

Attacking Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his 'ghuspetia' remark, the TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday said the former and BSF Director General should resign if there is an issue of 'infiltration' in West Bengal, adding that securing the country's border is their duty and not of the Mamata Banerjee-led administration.

Addressing a rally at Madarihut in Alipurduar, Banerjee said, "Amit Shah is always telling about 'ghuspetiye' (infiltrators) during the election campaign in Bengal. Who is responsible for that when BSF is guarding the International border and it falls under Amit Shah's Ministry?...... It means Amit Shah and BSF DG should resign for that."

Playing the language card, Banerjee said, "Many leaders are coming to Bengal from Delhi for the election campaign. I challenge them to speak for only two minutes in Bengali. I challenge them. I am ready to speak in Hindi in any part of the country."

He further cornered the Centre for giving "just Rs 1,000 crore" in Amphan relief, stating that the Government of West Bengal has been sending Rs 75,000 crores to the Centre in taxes etc.

"Every year, West Bengal sends Rs 75,000 crores to the Central government. But when they send Rs 1,000 crores for Amphan relief, BJP leaders say it has been sent by Modi Ji. This is our money, not of fathers of BJP leaders," he said.

The BJP and TMC are at loggerheads in the poll-bound West Bengal. Striving to topple the ruling TMC government, top BJP leadership including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and party president JP Nadda has been conducting rallies across the states.

Shah in his public meetings attacked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleging that she has been sheltering Rohingyas and infiltrators from Bangladesh for vote-bank politics.

The second phase of the West Bengal assembly elections will take place on Thursday.

In phase-II, 30 assembly constituencies from the districts of Bankura, South 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur will go to polls to decide the fate of 171 candidates including 19 women.

Nandigram is gearing up for a high-profile contest in the second phase of the state assembly elections on April 1 in which Banerjee takes on her former ministerial colleague Suvendu Adhikari, who joined the BJP in December last year.

The first phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections concluded with an estimated 79.79 per cent voter turnout on Saturday.

The polling for 31 seats in the third phase of the 294-member state assembly will be held on April 6.

The elections for 44 seats will be held in the fourth phase on April 10. Further, in the fifth phase on April 17, 45 seats will go to polls. The sixth phase is scheduled for April 22 when elections for 43 seats will be done. In the seventh phase on April 26, polling will be held for 36 seats. Finally, the eighth phase is scheduled for April 29 when 35 seats will go for polling.The counting of votes will take place on May 2.

( With inputs from ANI )