Highest ‘fake job card holders’ are from UP, TMC hits back at PM’s ‘corruption’ salvo

Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Saturday reacted sharply to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comment that the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government in Bengal carried out atrocities on women in Sandeshkhali. Modi also said that it is criminals who decide when they want to be arrested in the state.

Addressing a public meeting in Krishnanagar, PM Modi said: “Today, Maa, Maati as well as Maanush, all are displeased by the TMC mode of governance. Women of Sandeshkhali kept asking for justice, yet the government did not hear their pleas.”

Modi, on the last of his two-day visit to the state, also outlined an ambitious target for the BJP to win all the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state, emphasising on the direct correlation between Bengal’s progress and that of the nation. In the 2019 general elections, the saffron party had bagged 18 seats in the state.

Reacting to Modi’s comments, state Women and Child Development Minister and TMC leader Shashi Panja claimed that Modi failed to see corruption anywhere in the country beyond the Opposition parties like TMC.

“Bengal gets to see the PM only when elections are round the corner. He came during the 2021 Assembly polls; He is again coming back before the ensuing general elections. But that will not serve his purpose,” Panja said.

She claimed that UP has the highest number of “fake job card holders”, but it was never deprived of funds. This is because UP has a BJP government,” she added.

Trinamool Congress MP Sagarika Ghose attacked PM Modi for such remarks. “Smt. @sagarikaghose vehemently condemned PM @narendramodi’s lectures on Nari Shakti in Bengal. Under Smt.@MamataOfficial’s leadership, Trinamool Congress allocated 40% of tickets to women in the 2019 elections, while BJP shamelessly gave less than 12% in the 2023 winter assembly polls. #AayeHoTohBataKeJao, are you truly committed to women’s empowerment or just manipulating the electorate?”

The latest attack came from the PM after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called on Modi in Kolkata on Friday.

In his address, PM Modi also accused Trinamool Congress of corruption. On Friday also, while addressing the rally in Arambagh in Hooghly district, PM Modi slammed TMC over the Sandeshkhali issue and said the entire country is reeling with anger over the issue.

“In Bengal, the police do not decide when a criminal must be arrested, it’s the criminal who decides everything for himself,” he added referring to the much-delayed arrest of Sandeshkhali key accused Shahjahan Sheikh.

Modi on social media posted: “Met Shri Suvendu Adhikari Ji and Dr. Sukanta Majumdar Ji. We discussed ways to further spread our good governance agenda among the people. I applaud each and every @BJP4Bengal Karyakarta for their courage, passion and spirited fight against TMC.”

Trinamool Congress also uploaded a video of the Narada sting operation where Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari was caught taking money. “This is PM Modi Ki Guarantee: Bhrashtachariyo Ke Sath, Desh Ka Sarvanash,” TMC said.

The ruling party in Bengal countered Modi’s statement saying: “Who needs criminals when @myogiadityanath’s @Uppolice is there to do the job? In Rampur, a 17-year-old Dalit student was murdered by cops in cold blood. ‘Double Engine’ simply means double the atrocities against the marginalised communities!”

Trinamool Congress in a post on X also said: “@BJP4India’s state leadership is in such disarray that they’re now openly hanging posters against their own leaders. Bringing in PM @narendramodi is a desperate, last-ditch effort to save face; to salvage their sinking ship. But how can a party that is marred by infighting and factionalism claim to represent the interests of the people?

Trinamool Congress national spokesperson Shashi Panja said that the PM presented false facts in Krishnanagar. “You have deprived 59 lakh beneficiaries in Bengal from MGNREGA wages. Who is paying the money? CM Mamata Banerjee has paid the money. UP has the highest number of fake job cards but UP has not been deprived as it is a BJP run state.”