West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday alleged that the BJP government at the Centre was trying to arrest all the leaders of Opposition parties before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Speaking to journalists at the State Secretariat, Ms. Banerjee raised the issue of summons to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in an excise policy-linked money laundering case on November 2 and the arrest of West Bengal Minister Jyoti Priya Mallick in an alleged ration scam on October 27.
“There are only three months left before the dates of elections are announced in February 2024. Before the next year’s elections, they [the BJP] are trying to gag the voice of all Opposition parties. They are planning to arrest all Opposition leaders before the polls so that they can vote for themselves in an empty country,” Ms. Banerjee said.
The Trinamool Congress chairperson said she would not comment on the jurisdiction of the Central investigation agencies but added that the whole world was watching at the treatment of Opposition leaders in India.
MGNREGS funds
The Chief Minister raised the issue of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) funds due to the State and said the deadline for the release of funds was November 1 but no funds had been released till date.
Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee had given a time frame of October 31 for the BJP government to release the pending MGNREGS wages of workers in the State.
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Mr. Banerjee held protests in Delhi on October 2 and 3 and later from October 9 to 14 in front of the Raj Bhawan, Kolkata demanding that the wages of workers be released.
“Today was the last day, but nothing has happened so far. If the MGNEGRS dues are not cleared by November 16, we will declare our next course of action,” the Chief Minister said.
She said the party had called a meeting of all office-bearers including MPs and MLAs on November 16 to decide the future course of action.
With the Centre deciding to stop payment for the MGNREGS since December 2021, invoking Section 27 of the MGNREGA, the scheme has come to a complete halt in the State, resulting in distress and migration.
Asked about the Governor’s intervention in the issue, the Chief Minister said she had personally raised the issue of stoppage of funds with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Governor C.V. Ananda Bose had assured the delegation of Trinamool leaders that met him on October 14 that he will take the issue with the Union government in Delhi.
