Sonar Bangla quest revived after decades of Left, TMC rule: Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said the political change in West Bengal was unlike any seen in the country since Independence, and claimed
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said the political change in West Bengal was unlike any seen in the country since Independence, and claimed the new BJP government led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had revived the quest for "Sonar Bangla" after decades of Left and TMC rule. He was speaking while virtually laying the foundation stone and performing the bhoomi pujan for the Rs 700-crore Amul Bengal Dairy Project at Sankrail in Howrah. Read Full Story Shah said he had come to West Bengal "on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sweeten the mouths of the people with Mishti Doi" after the BJP's victory in the Assembly elections. The project, which will house the world's largest curd production plant, was presented as a major initiative for the state's rural economy. Adhikari and senior ministers attended the programme. "The change that the people of West Bengal have brought about is unlike any political change witnessed in any state of the country since Independence," Shah said. Drawing a contrast between the state's past and present, he said West Bengal was once "a beacon of light" for the country in education, culture, spirituality, the freedom movement and nationalism.
"West Bengal was once a beacon for the entire country in every field. In education, it remained decades ahead of the rest of the nation. Whether it was the freedom struggle or the country's cultural and spiritual renaissance, West Bengal gave India some of its greatest leaders and freedom fighters," he said. "Whether it was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Swami Vivekananda, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa or Maharshi Aurobindo, the state created an extraordinary tradition. Whether it was Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose or Khudiram Bose, West Bengal never hesitated to sacrifice for the nation," he added. Shah alleged that the state later went through decades of political decline. "West Bengal remained under a Communist government influenced by foreign ideology for three decades. After breaking free from that, it fell into the clutches of the TMC, who are devoid of ideology, corrupt and criminal. Before our eyes, the dream of 'Sonar Bangla' envisioned by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore was destroyed," he said. Claiming that the BJP government had revived that aspiration, he said, "After a decade-long struggle and responding to Modi's call, the movement for Sonar Bangla has begun again under the leadership of Adhikari." Referring to his three-day visit to the state, Shah said the Centre and the state government had held detailed discussions on governance and security.
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