Kolkata, Apr 25 (PTI) Senior BJP leader and MP Arjun Singh Monday slammed the central government for “neglecting” Bengal’s jute industry, and threatened to hit the streets if the issues related to capping of raw jute prices is not resolved at the earliest.
He also supported West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s demand to remove the price cap on raw jute in the open market, as the current market-driven prices favour farmers.
In a letter to Union Textile Minister Piyush Goyal, Singh said the Centre’s policy on jute price ceiling would have a devastating impact on the industry.
“My constituency in Barrackpore has 20 jute mills, and everyday I get complaints about how they are suffering because of wrong policies regarding the jute industry,” he told a news channel.
Asked whether the BJP state unit, of which he is a vice-president, would approve of his stand, Singh said he is “not bothered about what the party thinks about it”.
“I am answerable to the people of my constituency. If needed, I will hit the streets to press for the demand of the jute industry,” he asserted.
The sector regulator had capped the price of raw jute for mills at Rs 6,500 per quintal when the market price was over Rs 7,000.
This became a contentious issue as mills that consume the maximum amount of the golden fibre for manufacturing sacks meant for food-grain packaging could not procure the raw material at the officially set price.
Meanwhile, when contacted by PTI to comment on rumours of a possible switchover to his former party, the Trinamool Congress, Singh replied in the negative.
“There is no question of joining any other party. I am a public representative, and it is my job to raise issues concerning the masses. Even before Mamata Banerjee had talked about the issue, I had made similar demands. And, just because both of us are talking about the same topic doesn’t mean I am leaving the BJP,” he said.
Singh’s salvo at the BJP-led central government comes at a time when several saffron party leaders are openly speaking out against the state leadership for failing to take everybody along.
BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh said there was nothing wrong with Singh’s demand, but said it called for a collective approach by the state government and the MPs.
“It is a matter concerning the entire jute industry. So, it is for the state government to take it up with the Centre. An MP is well within his rights to raise issues concerning the masses,” he said.
The ruling TMC said Singh’s comment reflects how the BJP government at the Centre is apathetic towards the state’s problems.
“Those who had switched over to BJP now realise that the saffron party was never bothered about the well-being of the state. Singh’s remarks only prove that,” TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said.
Singh, one of the prominent Hindi-speaking leaders of the TMC, joined the saffron camp just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in 2019, and went on to win the Barrackpore Lok Sabha seat. PTI PNT RBT RBT
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.