Ahead of the rural polls in West Bengal next month, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is in the state on Friday. During his visit, he will hold public meeting and will take stock of the organisational strength of the party in the state.
It is his first visit after the Ram Navami violence that broke out in the state recently.
Reportedly, Shah will address a public meeting in Birbhum in the afternoon and inaugurate the district party in Suri. He will also hold meetings with the state party leaders as well.
He will visit Dakshineswar Temple and offer puja on April 15.
Shah's visit to Bengal is also part of the BJP's 'Pravas' campaign to strengthen its organisation in 144 Lok Sabha seats in the country that it had lost by slender margins in the 2019 general election.
In the 2019 elections, BJP had won 18 of the total 42 Lok Sabha seats in Bengal.
A counter-rally is also planned by TMC in Birbhum where Shah is set to address the party workers.
Ahead of Shah's visit, TMC leaders including Mahua Moitra and Partha Bhowmick, while addressing a press conference on Thursday, raised series of questions to him including why Bengal workers are yet to be paid under the 100-day employment guarantee scheme and how could Shah have a corrupt leader of the Opposition (Suvendu Adhikari), while repeatedly claiming that the BJP does not endore corruption.
Mamata's swipe at BJP
Meanwhile, taking a swipe at the BJP, WB chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday criticised the party for rewriting the history. Recently, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has removed certain chapters from Class 12 history textbooks.
“History is history, we do not have the power or strength to change it. India's history is our asset,” said Banerjee while speaking at the inauguration of the Dhanadhanyo auditorium.
She also claimed that the state has lot of dues but the Centre will not release it till 2024, but we will not beg in front of the Union government for clearance of the amount.
"We have a lot of dues, which are yet to be released by Delhi. I have heard that funds will not be released till 2024. But, despite that I will not beg in front of them. I will try to move forward with the blessings of people," she said.
TMC has been pressing for the immediate release of dues to the state under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and other centrally sponsored projects. Banerjee recently took part in a two-day demonstration seeking the release of the dues.
TMC also alleged that the withholding of funds was illegal.
