Bardhaman (WB), Aug 26 (PTI) Launching a fresh salvo at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while referring to the BJP leader’s recent comments, on Tuesday said she never expected him to disrespect her chair and the state as a whole by allegedly calling its people “thieves”.
Speaking at a government programme in Bardhaman town in Purba Bardhaman district, organised to distribute land deeds and various social welfare scheme benefits among people, Banerjee called Modi’s comments an “insult” to the people of West Bengal and lashed out for holding back central funds that, she alleged, have put a “heavy burden” on the state exchequer.
“The Prime Minister should respect my chair as I respect his. I never expected him to call the people of West Bengal thieves,” the CM said.
“In truth, he has turned a blind eye to the performances of the so-called double-engine BJP governments of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Bihar, where corruption is at its highest,” Banerjee claimed.
Alleging that Modi travels to West Bengal “like a migratory bird every time there is an election knocking on doors,” Banerjee claimed that the state administration has satisfactorily replied to all queries of the Union government about utilisation of central funds for welfare schemes.
“We have answered all your queries, yet you stop fund disbursement and call West Bengal a thief. They had sent 186 central teams to West Bengal to probe corruption charges and found nothing. How can a student accept getting zero marks after answering all the questions? We will not tolerate this insult,” she added.
Speaking at a public meeting in Kolkata on August 22, Modi alleged that “corruption, crime and the Trinamool Congress are synonymous… The funds that the Centre sends to the West Bengal government do not reach the people but are devoured by TMC cadre.” Accusing the Modi government of stopping five central funds’ flow to West Bengal, Banerjee said that the state was running those schemes “from its own resources”.
“We started the Karmashree scheme and distributed 78 lakh job cards despite the BJP stopping funds flow in 100 days’ work. We spent Rs 19,000 crore from the state corpus,” she added.
Referring to Modi’s visits to Bengal, Banerjee said, “I want you to come for all 365 days. You don’t fund your travel expenses, you don’t foot the bill for your food and lodging,” she said, hinting that the PM’s travel expenses are sponsored by the Centre.” The TMC supremo stated that she, on the other hand, pays for her accommodation bills during travel from her personal income from book royalties.
“I live by myself. I don’t need much money to sustain,” she said, claiming she never took her pension despite being a seven-time MP.
Accusing the BJP of raising the NRC bogey before every election, she alleged that the party is using the Election Commission of India to roll out Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to brand Indian citizens who crossed over to this part of the country during and before 1971 as Bangladeshis.
“With due respect to the ECI, I urge the poll panel not to become the BJP’s lollipop, abiding by every demand they make,” she said, adding, “We will not allow them (BJP-led Centre) to carry out their agenda to harass and deport every Bengali-speaking citizen by labeling them as Bangladeshis.” Recalling the contributions of Bengali luminaries in shaping the nation’s destiny and bringing about its modernity through social reforms, Banerjee said, “We will rise in protest if there are attempts to muzzle our voices. We will chant both Joy Hind and Joy Bangla as Bengali is in our veins, in our blood. Bengali occupies the top berth among the spoken languages in the world. Any insult to our mother will not be tolerated.” Claiming that 22 lakh migrant labourers currently work outside the state because they were invited by their employers for their skills, the CM said, “They are now being assaulted in BJP-ruled states for speaking in Bengali.” “But 1.5 crore migrants from outside Bengal are working here. And we ensure their safety, security,” the chief minister added.
She also reminded Modi of “failing to do anything when Indians from Gujarat were deported by the Trump administration in shackles”.
Banerjee also accused the PM of peddling lies in the past about Durga Puja celebrations not being allowed in West Bengal.
“This time you (Modi) are saying you can feel the Durga Puja festive vibes in Kolkata air. This shows how you build false narratives and spread lies,” she alleged. PTI SMY SUS BSM SMY NN
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