Mamata accuses Centre of threatening IAS, IPS officers working in Bengal

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and state’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Monday, accused the BJP-led Centre of threatening IAS and IPS officers working in the state government.

She alleged that the Centre is pressurising the officers to work for BJP else dossiers will be prepared against them. She further snubbed the Centre for withholding funds it owes to Bengal.

“The Centre has blocked Rs 1.15 lakh crore. I have flagged this to the Prime Minister at least 4-5 times. Our MPs and MLAs have met the Central ministers. We are not begging for money but for our rights. We know how to build a movement for a just cause. If the Centre fails to give Bengal its due, our students and youth leaders will protest in front of Gandhi Murti in Delhi on October 2. I will be by their side.”

She also stated: “They often boast about Gujarat. If Gujarat is the model, Bengal is the medal. As per NITI Aayog, the poverty reduction rate in Bengal stood at 9.4% whereas in Gujarat it stood at 6.8%. The rate of progress for the reduction of malnutrition in Bengal is 6.3% compared to 3% in Bengal. Unemployment increased by 45% across the country whereas employment in Bengal increased by 40%”.

She added: “Modi Babu, how did Bengal win so many awards in the implementation of its schemes? Why did Kanyashree get recognition and Durga Puja for the UNESCO heritage tag? Why did Kolkata become the safest city in the country? Garibi Hatao programme has become the Garib Hatao programme.”

Banerjee asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not hoist the tricolour on Republic Day from the Red Fort, next year, as the grand coalition of the opposition parties (INDIA bloc) will win the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

“INDIA will win forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. Narendra Modi will not be able to hoist the flag as PM, at Red Fort. He will deliver his address for the last time tomorrow as a PM. There is no freedom for the people under the BJP-led Centre. The opposition parties are bulldozed,” Banerjee said.

“People’s freedom has been looted and federal structure damaged,” she said.

Banerjee also alleged that the BJP government is trying to intimidate the judiciary. “Centre tries to influence judgments and instructions come from the Union Law minister that judgment should be given in their favour,” she said and criticised the Centre for introducing a controversial Bill removing the Chief Justice of India (CJI) from a three-member panel to select the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners. She alleged that BJP’s target would be manipulating the EVM machines ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

She said that PM Modi has now become a panchayat-level leader as the latter had attacked the Bengal government last Saturday saying that the state had sponsored violence on BJP activists during the Panchayat elections.

“Where is freedom now? Is there freedom prevailing in Kashmir or Manipur? The PM has been speaking high-sounding words about violence in Bengal. A PM cannot speak like that. There is no guarantee that people will get their money back after depositing it in the bank. The PM will not be able to say who prepared the constitution. BJP is worshipping the person who killed Mahatma Gandhi. They never speak about Gandhi,” she added.

“They do send central teams in Uttar Pradesh and Manipur. They have sent 107 central teams to Bengal. They pretend that violence is taking place only in Bengal,” Banerjee said.