Baidyapur/UNI: Hitting out at the BJP, Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday said just as Corona is a virus, and Covishield its vaccine, similarly, BJP is the virus, and Trinamool and Mamata Banerjee its vaccine.

Addressing a public meeting here in Hooghly district for the July 8 three-tier Panchayat election, Banerjee said, "The BJP government and PM Modi is responsible for the price rise. We need to uproot them, and uproot them fast, or else they will take the country down the drain."

"Just as the protesting wrestlers were forced to drown their medals in the Ganges, people will be forced to drown their future if BJP comes to power again. BJP should be taught a lesson and should be rejected at all costs," he stated.

"BJP government at the Centre has halted funds for over 62 schemes in Bengal. In just the past two years, over 151 central teams have been sent to Bengal."

He said the BJP government has halted Bengal’s funds, only because they couldn’t win in the state.

"This amount is not the personal fund of BJP government, it is the deserved money of the poor people of Bengal. We have shown enough restraint, but the time for restraint is over.

"We have three options before us, either request the BJP government to release our funds, or hold PM Modi’s feet, or go to Delhi and snatch out rightful dues. We chose the latter — ‘Dilli Cholo’ is the clarion call that we will now raise to get what we are owed," Banerjee thundered.

Taking a dig at the BJP government at the Centre for letting loose ED and CBI behind Trinamool leaders, Banerjee said, "It has been 26 months since the 2021 Bengal Elections, in these 26 months, 27 false cases have been filed against us.

"BJP might have the support of all agencies, be it ED, CBI, Income Tax, Election Commission, Paramilitary Forces, but they don’t have the support of the public."

Taking strong exception to what happened in Maharashtra, he said, "A couple of days back, PM Modi said that he is a guarantor against corruption. Yet, the day before yesterday, BJP poached NCP MLAs in Maharashtra.

"These leaders were being probed for corruption by the ED and CBI. This is the reality of BJP and PM Modi. "