‘Why is Centre not clearing dues worth Rs 1,15,000 cr’

Kolkata/Harirampur: Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday once again attacked the Narendra Modi government at the Centre for not clearing dues of around Rs 1,15,000 crore to Bengal.

Criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Banerjee said: “Lectures were given in Maan Ki Baat but not a single word was used on the non-clearance of dues to Bengal. It is shameful.” He was addressing a rally at Harirampur in South Dinajpur.

“Centre has stopped funds for 11.36 lakh people under Awas Yojana. They have withheld around Rs 1,15,000 crore dues of Bengal. The Prime Minister had said that all the black money will be brought back. Contrary to his claim, last year, around Rs 32,000 crore of black money was deposited to the Swiss Bank.

Tearing into BJP’s politics of vendetta, Abhishek slammed the Bengal BJP president for prioritising politics over people’s welfare in South Dinajpur and elsewhere in the state.

While addressing a public meeting at Harirampur on the eighth day of Trinamool-e Nabojowar, Banerjee challenged Balurghat BJP MP Sukanta Majumdar to show 10 instances where he approached the Centre for bringing development to Balurghat.

“Can the people here show me one instance of Sukanta Majumdar holding a meeting with other BJP leaders of Balurghat over development? Leave alone meetings. Can he show 10 instances of development work done by the Centre for the people of Dakshin Dinajpur?” he asked the sea of people who gathered to listen to him.

“Instead, Sukanta Majumdar is busy writing to his Delhi leaders, asking them to stop the money for the poor people of Bengal, who were employed under the 100 Days Work scheme,” he said.

Slamming the BJP for practising vendetta politics, Abhishek Banerjee added: “I ask the BJP leaders to fight with Trinamool politically. Do not harass the poor people. You (BJP) can abuse me as much as you want, but you have to release the dues of the people.”

After holding massive public meetings at Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, and North Dinajpur over the past week, the Jono Sanjog Yatra reached South Dinajpur on Tuesday.

Later in the day, Abhishek visited the Tebhaga movement martyr memorial site before addressing a public meeting at Balurghat and Tapan.

Meanwhile, Banerjee also slammed the Congress for “double standards” over its stand on the “misuse” of Central agencies by the Union government against Opposition parties.

“When the CBI and ED conduct raids on Trinamool Congress leaders in Bengal, the Congress lauds the central agencies, but when senior Congress leaders are summoned in Delhi, they turn against the probe agencies and start protesting,” he said.