BJP destroying federal structure: Mamata
Kolkata: Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Thursday alleged that there has been an attempt by the Centre to destroy the federal structure of the country. She hit out at the Centre for sending central teams on various pretexts without clearing the dues of the state.
Banerjee further accused the Narendra Modi government of intimidating media houses so that they do not telecast her sit-in demonstration on Red Road.
“They have asked various channels not to show our demonstration. Media has the right to show what is happening. The government is for the people, by the people. The federal structure is under threat,” she said.
“More than 160 central teams have been sent to Bengal in the last one-and-a-half years. They (BJP-led Centre) are selling out LIC, and SBI. They are selling out the country. BJP is behaving like a feudal landlord. Central agencies are being let loose on Opposition members only to stifle their voices. They are calling us anti-nationals. They think that they are the only nationalists and other Opposition parties are terrorists,” Banerjee said while addressing a gathering at the sit-in dharna.
“If you say anything against the BJP, you are thrown out of the House. If you speak against them, they send the ED and the CBI. What an honest party they are! They are acting like feudal lords.”
She further added: “We stood first in the Gram Sadak Yojana project and also obtained the best prize in the implementation of 100 days work for five consecutive years from the Centre. Yet they stopped dues of Rs 7,000 crore. They sanctioned 11 lakh houses under Awas Yojana but did not give us funds. More than 34 lakh poor people are looking for a house. They are not clearing funds now,” she said, adding: “I am working for the people. I am fighting for the people whose money has been stopped for 100 days’ work. I am sitting for the rights of common people, whose money has been blocked by the Centre.”
Banerjee said: “The Centre has not released pending funds worth over Rs 7,000 crore under the MGNREGA scheme and has not given jobs to our people despite West Bengal topping the list of states in completing work under the initiative.” She had earlier alleged that BJP has been targeting Opposition parties by letting central agencies loose on them.
“The Centre is taking away the GST collection. Earlier, we used to get our own taxes. Our dues are not being cleared. I have met the Prime Minister several times and placed our demands. Our MPs placed the demands as well from time to time. They staged a sit-in demonstration. But nothing happened. They are clearing dues of each and every BJP-ruled state and depriving those having non-BJP governments. Mamata also lashed out at the BJP for “hiring” protesters to show her black flags during one of her international tours and said the party “paid them in dollars and claimed genocide happened in Bengal”.
She added: “Do you understand the meaning of genocide? It happened in Godhra. It happened with Bilkis Bano. It happened during the NRC and the CAA (protests). It is what happened in Delhi (the riots of 2020).”
