Cooch Behar/IBNS/UNI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi kick-started his maiden election rally in Bengal on Thursday, assuring the people of the state that the perpetrators, especially of Sandeshkhali, will be punished severely and appealed to the electorate to vote without fear.

Addressing a mammoth "Vijay Sankalp Divas" at Rash Mela ground in support of BJP candidates Nitish Pramanik and Manoj Tigga for the Cooch Behar and Alipurduar Lok Sabha seats in north Bengal, Modi said it was only the BJP that can stop atrocities against women in Bengal.

"The whole country has witnessed how the ruling TMC govt tried its best to protect the accused in the Sandeshkhali while the BJP has resolved to ensure punishment for the accused in bordering North 24 Parganas," the PM said.

"They will have to spend their lives in jail," Modi said and appealed to the people to vote like a leader on April 19 in the early hours as the poll panel this time "ensured free and fair polling across the state".

"This time the election is to form a strong and stable government in the country as the next five years is very crucial for Atmanirvar Bharat and Bengal will also be one of the beneficiaries," the PM assured.

He came down heavily on the TMC, Left, and the Congress and accused the trio of dividing the countrymen on caste-based politics.

He also recounted how Congress in over six decades had exploited the people and kept giving the slogan of 'Garibi Hatao'.

"It is the BJP government which, in the last ten years, alleviated 25 crore people from poverty. This happened because we are working sincerely and our 'niyat' is right," Modi reiterated.

He said there are many central schemes for alleviating the suffering of the have-nots, but the TMC government did not want to extend such schemes to vested interested people.

He clarified that Ayushman Bharat, a pan-India medical facility scheme, could be used in any part of the country if anyone falls sick elsewhere and can access hospital benefits of Rs 5 lakh insurance, but the TMC government did not extend the scheme.

"The TMC here doesn't allow the implementation of Central schemes in West Bengal... To establish medical colleges is the identity of the BJP. We want to establish a medical college in every district in the country. But the TMC govt doesn't allow us to do this. Despite giving a record amount of money to West Bengal, many projects are not completed on time due to TMC," Modi said.

"The Centre has given maximum funds to the Bengal government but the money was siphoned off as crores and crores of rupees were found in the home of a minister," he said.

In his 30-minute address, Modi even thanked CM Mamata Banerjee. "In 2019, I came to this same ground to address a rally. At that time she got a platform constructed in the middle of this ground to make it smaller in size. At the time, I had said the public would give an answer to this. Today, she did not do any such thing and I got the opportunity to meet you all. I express my gratitude towards the Bengal government for not creating any obstacles today."

He also accused the opposition of misleading the people about CAA, saying it's meant for granting citizenship.