Kolkata. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday announced that her government will transfer funds to the bank accounts of 21 lakh MNREGA workers in the state by February 21. Trinamool Congress (TMC) President Banerjee on Friday visited B.R. Started a 48-hour dharna in front of Ambedkar’s statue and demanded the Center to release “dues” for various social welfare schemes. She said that she will soon bring another announcement regarding the unreleased funds for the housing scheme.
Banerjee declared from the protest site, “We do not want to beg from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nor do we want alms from the BJP. By February 21, we will transfer money to the bank accounts of 21 lakh workers who have not received the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) money even after working for the last three years. This is my first step.”
The Chief Minister said, “The Central Government is thinking that Bengal will be starved to death.” We will not let them succeed in this… Trust me… I will gradually step by step try to recover the money which is still stuck.” He said, “This fight is for those who are deprived. We will continue our fight and will not leave even a single poor person in Bengal deprived. As long as I am alive I will keep fighting for you people.”
Banerjee also said that her party will come out with full force against the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections and claimed that if all the opposition parties come together, the BJP government at the Center will definitely fall. Banerjee said, “I will play with full strength and win. If all the states, all the major organizations and all the regional parties and national parties come forward, then I think the fall of BJP is certain. If BJP thinks that it will stay here for a long time then it is wrong. He has oppressed the people of the country for a long time.”
The Chief Minister of West Bengal said that she will never allow the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to be implemented in the state. Banerjee referred to the arrest of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Investigation Agency’s move to court over non-compliance of summons issued against Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal. Alleging that BJP is using central agencies to threaten opposition parties.
He said, “The BJP government does not have the power to do anything on its own. Their only strength is to run the government with the help of the agency, by the agency and for the agency. Hemant Soren is a tribal leader and has been arrested. Now, they are after Arvind Kejriwal… ED has sent me a letter stating that we have not submitted any report since 2003… We were not even in power at that time…”
Regarding the concept of ‘one nation, one election’, Banerjee said that the country’s constitution is in danger during the BJP rule as the party is planning to impose the President’s rule system. The Chief Minister of West Bengal said, “The Constitution of the country is in danger during the rule of BJP. BJP leaders do not show respect for the Constitution. “They are actually imposing on us the concept of ‘one nation, one election’ which means the system of presidential rule.”
Former Indian cricketer and leader Kirti Azad and social activist Yogendra Yadav had met Banerjee on the protest stage on Saturday. While leaving the protest stage after 48 hours, Banerjee said that this protest will continue till 13 February.
He said, “I had decided to stop it for two days, I kept my word. Tomorrow morning again I will hand over this platform to the youth of TMC. TMCP will take charge on Monday. Party MLAs will also come and I will also come and try to participate. There will be only one slogan, we will not tolerate Bengal being ignored.”
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Tags: BJP, Mamata banerjee, MNREGA
FIRST PUBLISHED : February 4, 2024, 02:59 IST
