Nadda slams Mamata, says Bengal's condition similar to India's before 2014

Stepping up its campaign for the 2024 General elections, Bharatiya Janata Party national president JP Nadda on Thursday hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in her bastion Kolkata and said that the TMC chief has turned the situation of West Bengal similar to that of the country before 2014 when the UPA government was in power and 'loot, corruption, nepotism, and scams' were prevalent.

The BJP is eying to improve its tally in 2024 in West Bengal where it won 18 seats in the 2019 General elections.

"Condition of Bengal right now is similar to what India was famous for before 2014- loot, corruption, nepotism, and scams. But after 8 years, things have drastically improved. PM Modi has brought a new culture to political working," said Nadda while addressing Nagarik Sammelan here.

The BJP chief also took a dig at the prevailing law and order situation in West Bengal, and said that there is a "law of rulers instead of rule of law" in the state.

"Law of rulers not rule of law, this is the policy here... Who will fight this? BJP. And only BJP will win... Fourth highest murder cases, the highest number of attempts to murder- it is West Bengal," he said.

Nadda further heaped praise on the ruling BJP government at the Centre, where the party completed its eight years recently, and said that India is no more changing but "has changed".

"Today when people tell me that the country is changing, I say that it is not changing but has changed, statistics prove this," he said.

"Before 2014, only one or one and a half lakh houses were built under housing schemes in the country. Today 2.5 crore houses have been completed under PM Awas Yojana under the Modi government," Nadda added elaborating on the work done by the BJP government for the welfare of the people.

The BJP chief also mentioned the improved rank of the country in the Ease of Doing Business and said that the changing image of India is at the fore to be seen.

"Our GDP, which was once Rs 112.33 lakh crores, has now increased to Rs 232 lakh crores. We were ranked 142 in the Ease of Doing Business in 2014, whereas today we stand at 63rd position," he said.

"The changing image of India across the world is in front of all of us. Brought Indians back from Afghanistan when there was crisis and during the corona crisis, Indians were brought back from across the world to India. Even during the Ukraine war, India brought back the students trapped there," Nadda added enumerating the Centre's steps taken for its citizens in times of crisis.