Kolkata: Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha MP Jaya Bachchan has said that Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will again return to power. Jaya, who shares a long-standing relationship with Banerjee, also voiced her protest against the BJP-led Centre for renaming the MGNREGA scheme by removing the name of Mahatma Gandhi.
Jaya, who joined the TMC MPs’ protest outside the Parliament, clearly stated that the more the Centre will insult Bengal, the people of Bengal will give a stronger reply. In reply to media questions, Jaya said that she is confident that Banerjee will again return to power. The Bengalis will predict the future of the country, she added. Such a statement coming from a veteran Samajwadi Party MP like Jaya Bachchan carries significance.
Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress MPs continued their steadfast protest in Parliament, refusing to remain silent as the Centre “dismantled” the most fundamental guarantee of rural employment. Trinamool Congress said that MPs from other parties have also joined the sit-in, recognising that this struggle transcends partisan lines.
“We express our sincere gratitude to our leader, Mamata Banerjee, for standing firm when the Modi Government decided to change the name of MGNREGA. In the face of a move that showed clear disrespect, she chose a dignified path by deciding to rename Karmashree in honour of Mahatma Gandhi, reaffirming the values of dignity of labour and social justice,” Trinamool MP Dola Sen said.
Another TMC MP, Bapi Halder, said: “The Union Government has withheld more than Rs 52,000 crore from Bengal’s rightful dues, directly impacting poor workers who carried out their duties with sincerity and discipline. Renaming MGNREGA does nothing to address this injustice. It only exposes the Centre’s unwillingness to take responsibility for its failure to pay workers their dues.”