Launching a scathing attack on the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said those who had won the trust of the people of West Bengal a few years back are now attacking the very pride of the state for vote bank politics and asserted it is important to change the situation.
Addressing a gathering at BJP’s ‘Parivartan Yatra’ in Serampore, Hooghly on Saturday, Vaishnaw said, “Today, Bengal’s ashmita (pride) is in danger. The government is attacking the state’s pride by allowing infiltration. Bengal’s brotherhood, tradition and history are in danger. People wonder whether in future, they would be able to celebrate Durga Puja and Kali Puja. TMC, which had won the trust of the people of the state a few years back, wants to end it for vote bank politics. It is important to change this situation.”
Vaishnaw claimed that while a huge allocation has been made for madrasa education, a much smaller amount has been given for technical education in the state Budget.
“The government allotted Rs 5500 crore for madrasas while only Rs 900 crore was allotted. This is a crime against Bengal’s youth,” he said.
“On one hand there is the SSC scam, while on the other there are atrocities against women, be it RG Kar hospital, Kasba, Kamduni, Hanskhali or Sandeshkhali. And the CM made a shameful statement that women should not venture out at night…Earlier people would come to Bengal in search of jobs and now they are leaving,” Vaishnaw said.
The Union Minister said the Narendra Modi government has allocated a lot of funds for Bengal’s infrastructure development, ranging from railways, roads, airports to telecommunications.
“Bengal railways gets triple of what it used to get 12 years back. This year, Rs 14,200 crore was allocated; Rs 93000 crore projects have been sanctioned. In 40 years, 27km of Kolkata Metro work was done while in the last 11 years, 45km work was done. But lack of cooperation by the TMC government is hampering development projects, including the Kolkata Metro Railway. TMC wants to keep Bengal poor and weak,” he said.
Story continues below this ad
Stating that the TMC government is creating impediments on one pretext or another, he said, “It seems they do not want Kolkata Metro Railway’s development. Their only interest is in syndicate money.”
“Bengal has 11 Amrit Bharat trains, nine Vande Bharat trains, and the first Vande Bharat Sleeper train. The Serampore railway station will be transformed into a world-class station and it will be sanctioned next week,” Vaishnaw said.
Meanwhile, the BJP has alleged that their Parivartan Yatra was stopped by police or attacked by TMC supporters. In Konnagar, BJP alleged that some TMC supporters chanted “joy Bangla “ slogans as the yatra passed. In Khardah and Naihati, the BJP alleged that the police stopped a bike rally so they held a sit-in protest.
Earlier in the day, BJP organised a Bhoomi Pujan at the Brigade Parade Ground where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a rally on March 14th, marking the culmination of the Parivartan Yatra. Senior leaders including Union Minister Bhupender Yadav were present.
Story continues below this ad
Meanwhile, addressing a press conference at the BJP office in Kolkata, national executive member Mithun Chakraborty attacked the TMC government over the safety of women.
“The head of the state is saying that women should not go out after 8pm. It sounds unreal. After BJP comes to power, the first thing that we will address is the safety and security of women.”
Hitting out at the state government for not giving land in border areas, he said, “Around 400 km of border has been left open. The PM has written several times asking for land in a bid to stop infiltration but the government has not agreed.”
Questioning CM Banerjee on her ongoing dharna, he said, “The dharna is all staged. Why is she trying to stop the SIR exercise? Who is she siding with? She wants outsiders’ names to be added in voter rolls.”
Story continues below this ad
Bengal govt withheld central funds meant for social welfare schemes: Suvendu
Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday alleged that the West Bengal government had deliberately withheld central allocations for social welfare projects like Ayushman Bharat and PM Awas Yojana, depriving lakhs of people.
Addressing a ‘Parivartan Yatra’ rally at Manngalkot in Purba Bardhaman district, the leader of opposition said the names of 19 lakh farmers were not forwarded by the state to the Centre for the social welfare projects to help them financially.
“Of the 54 lakh deserving recipients for PM’s social welfare project for farmers, names of 19 lakh were left out as they belonged to tribal, lower caste Hindu and backward caste Hindu communities. This state government is anti-farmer,” he alleged.
(With PTI inputs)
