BJP fulfilling Bengal poll promises, 'Sonar Bangla' taking shape under Suvendu's leadership: Shah

Kolkata, Jul 6 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the BJP government in West Bengal was fulfilling the promises made in its election manifesto and asserted that the vision of a 'Sonar Bangla' was steadily becoming a reality under Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Addressing a programme commemorating the 125th birth anniversary of Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee in Kolkata, Shah also highlighted the BJP's commitment to tackling illegal immigration, saying every infiltrator would be identified and the country's security strengthened. "We are fulfilling the promises we made in our 'Sankalp Patra' during the Bengal elections," Shah said. Praising the state government's performance, he said, "I am fully confident that under the leadership of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, the commitment of building a 'Sonar Bangla' will be fulfilled." The Union minister was speaking after laying the foundation stone for a 125-foot-tall statue of Mookerjee as part of celebrations marking the late leader's 125th birth anniversary. "Today, on the occasion of his 125th birth anniversary, the foundation stone for his 125-foot-tall statue was laid in West Bengal -- a tribute to his enduring legacy," Shah said. Calling the occasion an emotional one, Shah said Mookerjee had dedicated his life to the cause of national unity and made the ultimate sacrifice for the complete integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India. "Today is an emotional day for many people like me. Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee sacrificed his life to integrate Kashmir with India," he said. Shah said Mookerjee resigned from independent India's first Cabinet in protest against the Nehru-Liaquat Pact and firmly believed that India's policies should be rooted in the ethos and spirit of Indian civilisation. "He emphasised that the policies of free India should emerge from the fragrance of India's own soil and not remain under the shadow of the West," Shah said. Launching a sharp attack on the Congress, the home minister alleged that no proper investigation was allowed into Mookerjee's death. "The Congress never allowed any investigation into the death of Dr Mookerjee under mysterious circumstances," he claimed. PTI PNT BDC