'BJP confusing N Bengal people with lies as part of divisive politics'

KOLKATA: Slamming BJP state president Dilip Ghosh for making a volte-face over proposals on 'division of Bengal', Trinamool Congress leader Bratya Basu on Monday said the contradictory statements made by the saffron leaders revealed their political bankruptcy. Basu alleged that the BJP orchestrated lies to confuse the people of North Bengal as part of their 'divisive politics' agenda.

"He (Ghosh) has become like a chameleon, changing colours now and then. On June 16, BJP MP John Barla said North Bengal should be divided. Ghosh contradicted his statement and on June 22, Ghosh said this was not the decision of BJP, rather it was Barla's personal opinion. On August 21, Ghosh said North Bengal should be divided. He does not know what he (Ghosh) is saying," Basu said.

Basu said Mamata Banerjee had earlier maintained that BJP should feel ashamed after its defeat in the Assembly election.

"But instead of that, the saffron party had been trying to divide Bengal. Under no circumstances, I will allow anyone to divide Bengal," the TMC supremo had said.

Basu alleged that after the poll debacle, the IT cell of BJP began to circulate lies to confuse the people of North Bengal. "BJP is going ahead with linguistic and ethnic division and this has not been done by any political party since Independence," he

said.

Demolishing the claim of BJP that no development had taken place in North Bengal, Basu said Mamata Banerjee had set up the North Bengal Development Council in July 2011. The Council carried out development of six districts, namely, Malda, Darjeeling, Jaipaiguri, Cooch Behar, North and South Dinajpur. Later, two more districts, namely, Kalimpong and Alipurduar were added. A sum of Rs 776 crore was allotted to the council in 2020-21 FY.

"In 2014, Uttar Kanya was set up to expedite the development work. The Cha Sundari scheme has been taken up to provide houses to the tea garden workers. Already work on 200 acres has started at an estimated cost of Rs 500 crore," Basu said.

"Tourism will be developed at Lamahata in Darjeeling. Hundreds of people in North Bengal are associated with the tourism industry. Many of them have been badly hit by COVID-19. The state government will give them loans varying anything between Rs 50,000 and Rs 10 lakh as a part of their revival package. The state government also recognised Rajbangshi, Kamtapuri and Kurmali as official languages," he added.