'Ready to extend hand of friendship to anyone not getting due respect in BJP'
Kolkata: Upping the ante against the BJP, senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Bratya Basu on Tuesday said that his party will extend its hand of friendship to anyone who is not getting due respect in the saffron camp.
Claiming that the BJP indulges in "politics of disruption and division", the veteran leader said the TMC, unlike the saffron party, believes in growth and positivity.
"We are ready to extend our hand of friendship to those who are not getting their due respect in the BJP, which is a party of the fascists," Basu told a press meet at TMC headquarters here on Tuesday. He slammed the saffron party for expelling old-timers like Jaswant Sinha, and sidelining L K Advani, "all because they spoke their minds". Basu said the ensuing Assembly polls will be a fight between positive and negative politics.
Criticising the BJP for calling the most popular initiative Duare Sarkar taken by Mamata Banerjee as 'Jomer Duare Sarkar' (the government is at the gate of Yama (the God of the death), Basu said: "BJP has actually insulted 65 lakh people who had visited the camps till December 11, set up across the state to enroll their names to get the benefits of various schemes. It is in sheer bad taste," he commented.
He said unable to combat with the slew of development work carried out in Bengal in the past 9 years, BJP has chosen the path of "violence and spreading canards against Trinanamool Congress leaders."
Speaking in favour of Swasthya Sathi scheme as against Ayushman Bharat, Basu said: "Swasthya Sathi scheme is miles ahead of Ayushman Bharat." He said in Ayushman Bharat, the Centre gives 60 per cent of the money while the respective state governments have to pay the remaining 40 per cent
required for the treatment of a person.
The Swasthya Sathi card guarantees women empowerment as the card is issued in the name of the senior most woman in the family. "No where in the country such a scheme has ever been taken by any state government. Mamata Banerjee wants to bring 10 crore people under this scheme. The medical treatment of the card holders will be free." He said Swasthya Sathi was introduced in 2016 much ahead of Ayushman Bharat. He alleged that BJP leaders are confusing people about Swasthya Sathi scheme.
He said the nationwide agitation of farmers has become an albatross for the Centre, but in Bengal the farmers are happy about the schemes introduced by Mamata Banerjee. "Under the Krishak Bandhu scheme the farmers get Rs 5,000 for per acre of land while those having two hectares of land fall under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. Farmers having an acre of land gets Rs 1,214. Moreover, in case of any death—natural or accidental—their next of lin will get Rs 2 lakh from the state government, while there is no such provision under the Centre's scheme."
Basu added: "The income of the farmers has gone up by three times in Bengal where as the Centre has totally failed to keep its promises regarding increasing the income of the farmers."He criticised Amit Shah for his two-day Bengal tour when he should have sat with the farmers to resolve the impasse.
Talking on the outsider issue he said: "BJP is trying to confuse the people over the issue. Bengalis and non-Bengalis have contributed to the growth of Bengal. But even the non-Bengalis who stay in Bengal can speak Bengali language and are aware of Bengal's culture. But the BJP leaders who are coming here have no idea of Bengal's culture and cannot speak the language. They are insulting the people of Bengal every day."
