Flyover collapse is an ‘act of fraud’, God’s message to Bengalis: Modi

Launching a scathing attack on West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday termed the recent collapse of the Vivekanda Road flyover, as an “act of fraud”.

The collapse, he said, was “God’s message” to the people of Bengal to save themselves from the Trinamool Congress. The Prime Minister was in Bengal to take part in three poll rallies – two in northern Bengal and one in the south.

At least 25 people died after a stretch of an under-construction flyover collapsed in the city on March 31.

The construction began in 2009 (during the Left Front’s regime in the State) and has skipped many deadlines.

Speaking at an election rally in North Bengal, the Prime Minister, said: “They are calling it an act of God. No. It is an act of fraud.” Modi said the Chief Minister’s focus was on blaming the Left and her predecessors rather than expediting rescue operations.

“In case the collapse had not happened, then Didi (as Banerjee is known here in Bengal) would have inaugurated the flyover and claimed credit for it. Would you then give credit to the Left? Now you are shrugging off the responsibility,” he said.

According to Modi, the TMC and Left Front are so busy blaming each that development of the State is not their priority. “The comparison in Bengal is how much murders have been committed during the Left Front regime vis-à-vis the TMC. But no one talks about development of the State. Do you hear a comparison on how many kilometres of road the TMC has constructed to that of Left Front? Never,” he said.

Modi also blamed TMC leaders of corruption and Banerjee for remaining blind to them. He further questioned as to why the CM was not taking acting against the corrupt, especially when the Narada sting operation had allegedly shown her party leaders and legislators accepting bribes.

“What happened to you Didi? You were a firebrand leader fighting corruption. This parivartan (change) in you is unacceptable,” he said during another election rally in south Bengal.