Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday hailed the Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss the Central Government’s plea challenging the Calcutta High Court’s order to resume MGNREGA in Bengal, calling it a “historic victory” for the people and a “crushing defeat” for the BJP.
“Today’s verdict is a democratic slap on the face of those who believed Bengal could be bullied, coerced, or silenced. BJP’s arrogance has met its reckoning. They seek power without accountability. They take from Bengal, yet refuse to return her dues. But now, they’ve been defeated in PEOPLE’S VOTE, and in the SUPREME COURT,” Banerjee said on social media.
He further stated: “This is a HISTORIC VICTORY for the people of Bengal, who refused to bow down before Delhi’s ARROGANCE and INJUSTICE.”
The Centre had stopped releasing funds under MGNREGA since January 2022. Bengal has lost nearly 114.64 crore person-days of employment over the last three years while Central funds of around Rs 50,344 crore were withheld. About 58.87 lakh labourers who had already completed their work were not paid their wages. The total pending amount reached Rs 6,919 crore, claimed the ruling party in Bengal.
Banerjee reiterated that the BJP-led Centre, after failing to defeat Trinamool Congress politically, tried to impose an “economic blockade” on Bengal. “When they failed to defeat us politically, BJP weaponised deprivation. They imposed an ECONOMIC BLOCKADE on Bengal, snatching away the wages of the poor and punishing the people for standing by Maa, Mati, Manush. But Bengal does not yield. We promised to fight for every rightful rupee, every honest worker, every silenced voice,” Banerjee added. Trinamool Congress reacted to the Supreme Court’s verdict, saying that the Centre deprived Bengal’s poor people by withholding MGNREGA funds for over three years. In a post on X, Trinamool Congress said: “By withholding MGNREGA funds for over three years, the @narendramodi Government at the Centre deprived Bengal’s rural poor of their livelihoods in an act that defied both morality and constitutional propriety.”
“The Supreme Court’s clear and unequivocal verdict marks the end of an unjust and politically motivated financial blockade…It was the politics of punishment driven by a Bangla-Birodhi Zamindari mindset that sought to starve Bengal into submission. The Court has said what Bengal has been saying all along, you can check, you can question, but you cannot choke people’s livelihoods in the name of oversight,” Trinamool Congress stated.
It further posted: “Under the determined leadership of Smt. @MamataOfficial and the tireless advocacy of Shri @abhishekaitc, this issue became a fight for constitutional rights for our people. The verdict is a triumph for justice and a defeat for the politics of hate and discrimination…”
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra said: “Supreme Court orders Centre to resume MNREGA in Bengal immediately. Another BJP attempt to victimise, disenfranchise & blockade Bengal is thwarted.”