CBI can take up 100 cases but the Centre must clear dues of 17L families: Abhishek
Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee accused the Narendra Modi-led Centre of blocking funds for 106 schemes in Bengal in the last two years. He also threatened to organise massive protests in Delhi, if needed, and snatch the state’s rights.
The BJP government at the Centre is trying to punish the people of Bengal by not clearing dues of Rs 1.15 lakh crore to the state, he said while addressing a massive gathering at Sahid Minar on Wednesday.
“All the states have received 100 days’ of work dues except Bengal. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been assigned to probe 21 cases in the past 21 months. CBI can take up 100 cases but the Centre must have to clear dues of 17 lakh families in Bengal or else I will launch a protest movement in Delhi,” he said.
Abhishek further stated: “People think that the BJP-led Centre has only blocked the funds for Awas Yojana, Gramin Sadak Yojana, and 100 days of work but between FY 2021-22 and FY 2022-23, they have blocked the funds for 106 schemes. Over 17 lakh families, who worked under the 100 days work scheme, are waiting for their pending dues but the BJP-led Centre has not cleared them. In 2019, 18 BJP MPs were elected from Bengal, and in exchange, the Centre blocked funds for 106 schemes in the state. The people of Bengal elected over 70 MLAs in 2021 and in return, the BJP sent 151 central teams to Bengal in the past two years.”
On the CBI and ED probing various cases, Abhishek said they were trying to malign the Trinamool Congress leaders and challenged the agencies by saying that he would welcome death if a single case is proven against him.
“If ED-CBI arrests any Trinamool worker in a false case without any proof, I ask them to give me a call on Ek Daake Abhishek and I will stand by you. But our workers too have to work for people selflessly. How can Sujan Chakraborty and Surjya Mishra issue sermons of truth when CPI(M) leader Manoranjan Patra was convicted of a crime,” Abhishek said, adding: “Former Kalna MLA Biswajit Kundu switched to BJP when he realised that he wouldn’t get a ticket. He had admitted that he gave jobs to three members of his family and 62 others. But today, he is in the BJP. BJP should suspend Himanta Biswa Sarma, Suvendu Adhikari, and Biswajit Kundu and then question Trinamool Congress, which took action against Partha Chatterjee.”
He also told the gathering that two days ago, a convict in the Bilkis Bano gang-rape and murder case, was present at a BJP meeting in Gujarat. “I have been targeted since the days of Saradha and Narada. Madan Mitra is here. Kunal Ghosh was in custody. They were clearly told that if they took Abhishek Banerjee’s name, they would be set free. Now, they are using coal, cattle, and SSC investigation. Whenever we want to do a public meeting, they create legal challenges. When I expressed my criticism over some judgment, one of the judges held a press interview and said that they ‘would have called Abhishek Banerjee by issuing a rule’. But when Law minister Kiren Rijiju targeted former judges saying some of them are “anti-India,” the same judge is silent.”
