BJP copied our schemes in its 'jumla' manifesto: Trinamool

Kolkata: Dubbing the BJP manifesto as another piece of 'jumla', Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Sunday mocked the saffron party for 'carbon copying' its vision document and not having a Bengali leader to release the same. TMC also claimed that BJP had also copied the welfare schemes conceived by party supremo Mamata Banerjee.

"Absurd how the Tourist Gang released their jumla-laden Manifesto for Bengal polls in the hands of a Gujarati! A party that cannot find sufficient candidates for all 294 seats in Bengal is now faltering to find local leadership for such key events! Bengal Rejects Gujarati Manifesto," Trinamool Youth Congress president Abhishek Banerjee tweeted.

Taking a swipe at the saffron camp for bringing in a leader from Gujarat to read out the manifesto after giving a call to build "sonar Bangla", senior TMC leader and MP Saugata Roy pointed out that they had talked about passing the Citizenship Amendment Act in the state cabinet. "But our question is that CAA is a Central law. Then why is the state cabinet's meeting required in this connection? Again, implementation of NRC in Assam pushed 17 lakh people to detention camps instead of ensuring citizenship," he said.

Reacting to BJP's promise to launch Annapurna Canteen to provide affordable meals at Rs 5, Roy said: "It is nothing but a carbon copy of TMC government's Maa canteen in which egg and rice is provided at Rs 5 per plate. It will be initiated in all towns."

They have promised a free of cost facility for women to study up to the MA level when already 69 lakh girls were benefited through Kanyashree Prakalpa that received international awards. Roy also raised a question that even as BJP was talking about providing free public transport to all women, why the same was not implemented in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Karnataka.

"They have promised to initiate Ayushman Bharat here when Swasthya Sathi is successfully providing Rs 5 lakh health coverage per year to each of the families in the state and empowering women," he added.

"They are promising to check infiltration through the porous international border. Who had stopped them in the past seven years to do the same? They are in power at the Centre and BSF is run by them," Roy said, adding that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had already initiated a scheme for welfare of priests. "Following our footsteps, they are now promising to give Purohit Kalyan Bhata," he said.

TMC also raised questions on viability of the promise made to provide 200 days employment under MGNREGA scheme in all ST blocks only in Bengal, when it is 100 days for the entire country.

"They have talked about women security when a large number of cases of atrocities on women are taking place in BJP-led Assam. Horrible incidents of crime against women had taken place in Hathras and Unnao in Uttar Pradesh," he added.

"The manifesto talks about initiating awards named after Rabindranath Tagore and an educational institute named after Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar. This comes when their national president JP Nadda had mistaken the birthplace of Tagore and they had vandalised the bust of Vidyasagar. So paying respect to Bengal's icons does not suit them and the Bengal government has already named several institutes and establishments after them," Roy said. Stating that Trinamool Congress government has already given Rs 10,000 to students to buy tablets or smartphones, bicycles under Swasthya Sathi scheme besides free of cost books, uniform, shoes and bags,

Roy said: "They have promised the same under a new name called Shahoj Path Programme. Moreover, there is a difference between what is written in their manifesto and what Shah has said. The reason being he has said Rs 10,000 will be given to girls of SC, ST, OBC community and economically weaker sections. In the manifesto, they have written Rs 7,000."

"We have assured delivery of ration to 1.5 crore people at their doorsteps and Rs 10,000 per acre to farmers. There will be students' credit cards worth Rs 10 lakh and minimum basic income scheme to give Rs 500 each per month to women heads of every family. It will be Rs 1000 for women from SC and ST community. But there is nothing of such significance in their manifesto. I condemn that it hasn't been read out in Bengali," he said, adding that they released a manifesto, despite depriving Bengal of Rs 1 lakh crore last year and giving only Rs 1000 crore and Rs 150 crore for Amphan and Covid respectively.