BJP trying to saffronise everything in the country, says Mamata
Kolkata: Alleging that the BJP was attempting to ‘saffronise everything in the country’, Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee called for an “unbiased investigation” into the Parliament security breach on her way to Delhi where she is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with a few party MPs, to discuss the issue of fund blockade for Bengal which has led to deprivation of lakhs of people in Bengal.
Banerjee is also scheduled to attend a number of meetings at the national capital, including the one with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 20, where she will raise the Centre’s deprivation of wages of 100 days workers in Bengal.
“The Parliament security breach is a serious matter. There was a great lapse... The Union Home minister has already admitted that. Let them investigate it,” Banerjee told reporters at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport before leaving for Delhi.
When asked about the local BJP alleging Bengal connection in the Parliament incident, Banerjee said: “There is no connection with Bengal. Let an impartial investigation take place. They (the BJP) are always spreading canards against Bengal. But we do not support any sort of criminal activities,” she added.
She condemned the suspension of her party MP Derek O’ Brien for raising the security breach issue in Parliament. “They (Opposition) have already raised the issue and that’s why TMC leader Derek O’Brien has been suspended and other Congress and DMK MPs have also been suspended,” she said.
Banerjee informed reporters that she would be reaching Delhi on Sunday late afternoon and holding several meetings, including one with her party MPs on Monday. She will be attending the scheduled INDIA bloc meeting on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Banerjee along with some of her party MPs will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 11 am. “Bengal is the only state where wages for 100 days workers have been stopped. Only Bengal has been deprived. Funds have been stopped for our Banglar Bari scheme.
We have finalised a list of 11
lakh beneficiaries but even then our funds have been withheld. They (Centre) have done the same for the Grameen Sadak Yojana,” she said, adding: “Although these are Central government schemes, they do not bear the whole cost. The amount is divided between the Centre and the state.”
Criticising Centre’s directive to paint health centres saffron, Banerjee argued: “I even saw many houses near Siliguri have been painted in saffron colour. Now they want to do the same with the Health department buildings as well. Why will we do it? Blue and white is the brand colour of our state. It is not our party colour. Why should there be BJP’s party colour on everything? They are interfering into the eating and dressing habits of people. ”
Banerjee said that she will be raising all these issues in her meeting with the Prime Minister. She had earlier met the PM thrice on the issue of fund blockade for Bengal.
