‘PM Modi claims to be guarantor against corruption but welcomes tainted leaders’
Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee accused the BJP of “hoodwinking” the people of Purulia despite winning seats from here in both Parliamentary and Assembly elections while accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “hypocrisy” for welcoming the corruption-accused NCP’s Ajit Pawar into NDA despite claiming to be a “guarantor against corruption”.
Banerjee was speaking at Purulia’s Bagmundi on Monday. He said during the Nabajowar campaign he had covered most of the Assembly constituencies in the district except Bagmundi where he promised to return.
Addressing the crowd, he said in 2019, Purulia made the BJP leader Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato win in the Lok Sabha polls but asked when the MP ever held any meeting there in the last four years for the development of Purulia. Abhishek said that on the contrary the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ensured that more than 3,192 Duare Sarkar camps are organised in this district to ensure people can enrol themselves for the social welfare schemes of the state government.
Abhishek said that in the 2021 Assembly elections, Purulia made BJP win six Assembly seats. “TMC won in three seats-Bagmundi, Bandawan and Manbazar. In Joypur, the nomination of our candidate was cancelled. What have you got in return?” he asked the electorates.
He pointed out that Purulia has around 12 lakh job card holders but the Central government is continuing to withhold the fund worth Rs 7,500 crore under the 100 days work scheme.
He also pointed out that the fund of about Rs 8,000 crore under Awas Yojana has also been frozen by the Centre, thus depriving lakhs of beneficiaries who enrolled on these schemes. He urged people to join him in a protest in Delhi to demand their rights.
Urging people to vote for TMC he said: “After the 2021 Assembly elections, the state government has made six lakh women in Purulia district beneficiaries of the Laxmi Bhandar scheme. Over 3 lakh students in this district were enrolled for the Aikyasree scholarship.
About 7,70,000 got benefits from Swastha Saathi. About 28,94,000 in Purulia got ration free of cost while about 2,75000 girls got benefits of Kanyasree. About 7,62,000 caste certificates were issued in this district. About 500 new roads here are being developed or repaired under the Pathasree and Rastasree schemes by spending about Rs 500 crore.”
Taking a jibe at BJP, he said there are about 12 states ruled by BJP where if they can start the Laxmir Bhandar scheme and manage to give Rs 1000 to women of these states, then he will quit politics forever.
Further, in the context of corruption Abhishek alleged that despite Prime Minister Modi’s claim that he is a guarantor against corruption, NCP’s Ajit Pawar was welcomed into the NDA in Maharashtra overlooking the charges of massive corruption against him.
He reminded people how Sundu Adhikari too was welcomed into the BJP despite his alleged involvement in the Narada bribery case. He said PM Modi had mentioned recently that NCP is one of the most corrupt parties with Rs 73,000 crore scams under their belt.
