The showdown is set between Bengal and Delhi, with TMC MP, MLA’s, and job card holders, led by Abhishek Banerjee, staging a dharna at Jantar Mantar at 10:30am, demanding Bengal’s “rightful” funds. Simultaneously, the BJP will be holding protests across various areas in Bengal, alleging the presence of fraudulent job cards and calling for a CBI investigation into MGNREGA.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and other senior leaders and MPs of Mamata Banerjee government sat in a dharna, starting Monday night on Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary, alleging non-payment of funds by the Centre in various central schemes in West Bengal.
The BJP, however, called the protest a “drama” by the Trinamool government and said that Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has sent a corrupt MP to hold protests in Delhi to divert attention from scams committed in her state.
Furthermore, TMC is slated to visit Krishi Bhawan today, while in Kolkata, BJP MLA’s will stage a protest outside the Assembly around noon. Insider reports suggest that Suvendu Adhikari will have a meeting with the MoS Rural, during which he will detail how TMC has redistributed Bengal’s MGNREGA funds.
The BJP denied the TMC allegations and accused it of committing “theft” of government funds. Addressing a press conference at BJP HQ, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur gave details of the funds provided to West Bengal and alleged that Trinamool chief has sent her party leaders under a “corrupt and tainted” MP to stage a protest on the issue.
Thakur said there was no shortage of funds for implementation of centrally sponsored schemes in West Bengal but they were stopped after central teams flagged some irregularities in the implementation of rural job scheme MGNREGA and PM Awas Yojana and the state government did not take any action against those found involved despite several reminders.
“There have been scams after scams in West Bengal under Mamata Banerjee government like Narada scam, Saradha scam, Rose Valley scam, coal scam, etc. In 2019, the chief minister had herself sat on a dharna to create hindrance in the probe,” the Union minister charged.
With inputs from News18