Escalating their ongoing power tussle with the BJP over alleged denial of funds to West Bengal by the Union government, Trinamool Congress leaders began their two-day protest in New Delhi on October 2, while Union Minister Giriraj Singh alleged that the Trinamool government had created 25 lakh fake job cards to siphon off Central funds, and a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) could be ordered.
Both sides marshalled statistics to support their case. Mr. Singh claimed that under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, West Bengal got only ₹58,000 crore while under the Modi government in the last nine years, the State has got ₹2 lakh crore for various rural welfare schemes.
Also Read | Trinamool Congress holds State-wide protests demanding release of funds from Union government
The Trinamool, on their part, said that the BJP-led NDA government has wilfully withheld ₹15,000 crore in dues to the State under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and PM Awas Yojana. They also countered the allegation of 25 lakh fake job cards under MGNREGA, saying the problem was not unique to West Bengal alone and in Uttar Pradesh, 23.8% cards were deleted as they were found to be fake.
The first salvo of the day was fired by Rural Development Minister Singh, who is in Patna. At a press conference, he said that the West Bengal government refuses to cooperate with investigations into complaints of corruption. The government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he asserted, is committed to accountability. “There were 25 lakh fake job cards that were used to loot the money by Trinamool and their Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. We will have to take this to the CBI, if West Bengal continues with its current stance,” he said.
In Delhi, Trinamool leader Abhishek Banerjee along with party workers and leaders sat on a dharna at the Raj Ghat. The Trinamool delegation held placards demanding funds for the State. After two hours, the Delhi Police asked the delegation to leave. During an interaction with reporters, which too was interrupted by the police, Mr. Banerjee said that Trinamool leaders did not make any political speeches and still the police forced them out.
“The Centre is taking the people of West Bengal for granted. They believe, by a switch of a button, they will stop the flow of funds for the State and restart it whenever they feel like it. It is not their money to do so. These schemes are funded by taxes that you and I pay,” he said. He also claimed that the Delhi Police, while evicting the Trinamool delegation, also misbehaved with women leaders of the party.
On the second day, the party will hold a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi and meet Mr. Singh in the evening.
