TMC counters Shah’s appeal, asserts Mamata Banerjee’s schemes benefit the poor

Kolkata: With the Union Home minister Amit Shah asking Bengal to vote to bring to power such a government which can stop border infiltration into the state and help implement schemes for the upliftment of the poor, Trinamool Congress (TMC) has hit back saying it is the job of the Home Ministry to stop cross border infiltration while claiming that state‘s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s schemes have been benefiting the poor.

On the first day of the Lok Sabha elections, the TMC and the BJP began trading barbs on who the people of Bengal should vote for.

Shah took to his social media handle and wrote that the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in Bengal began on Thursday and he appealed to the people of the state to vote for such a government that will cater to the demands of the grassroots people and help implement schemes for their upliftment. Shah added that Bengal must vote to stop cross-border infiltration into the state and help ensure the safety and protection of women.

The second part of his appeal was clearly in reference to the recent Sandeshkhali incident in Bengal where several women had alleged atrocities against them committed by a now-suspended TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh and his aides. The complaints by locals also included the grabbing of agricultural lands in Sandeshkhali, North 24-Parganas. In its rebuttal, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh raised four points. He took to his social media account to claim that schemes implemented by the Mamata Banerjee-led state government are the best ones and that the Central government is continuing to withhold funds for Bengal. Secondly, he claimed that it is the job of the Union Home Ministry and the Border Security Force under it to stop cross-border infiltration.

On the issue of corruption, Ghosh alleged that whoever, including Suvendu Adhikari, had the BJP accused of corruption are now in their party. On women’s safety, he said TMC respects women and pointed out the atrocities against women in BJP-ruled states. He also hit out at Shah, alleging the Union Home Minister stood by Brijbhushan Sharan Singh who was accused by women wrestlers of the country of sexual harassment. He concluded these are the reasons why people should not vote for BJP.