Taking on Mamata Banerjee on her own turf, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President Jagat Prakash Nadda on Saturday accused the West Bengal government of not implementing the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme in the state because of ‘ego’. On a day when farmer unions called a ‘chakka jam’ against three contentious agricultural laws, Nadda reaffirmed the BJP and the Narendra Modi government’s commitment to the welfare of the farming community.
Nadda was addressing a rally of farmers during the last phase of the month-long ‘Krishak Suraksha Abhiyan’ and ‘Ek Mutthi Chawal’ campaign which he had flagged off in order to mobilise the farming community in the state in favour of the BJP. The programmes were also a part of BJP’s outreach to farmers to blunt the opposition’s charge that the ruling party and the Modi government were “anti-farmer” following farm protests at Delhi’s border points.
Addressing a public meeting in Bengal’s Malda district, Nadda said, “You will be surprised to know that nearly 23 lakh farmers of Bengal have applied online to take advantage of the PM-KISAN scheme. However, Mamata government has stopped the verification process. Today, West Bengal stands at 24 positions out of 29 states as far as welfare of the farmers is concerned. People’s expectations towards TMC have now turned into their anger due to bad governance. BJP under the leadership of PM Modi can only ensure good governance in Bengal. Our target is to ensure good governance and development in West Bengal and on other side TMC leaders are busy minting money through extortion and cut money.”
Assembly elections are due in West Bengal in April-May this year and the BJP has already launched a massive, very aggressive campaign highlighting farmers’ issues to oust the Trinamool Congress government from the state.
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“BJP is inevitably going to form the next government in 2021 in West Bengal and we will implement all the central government schemes, which were blocked by Mamata Banerjee. Mamata ji, don’t you think people of Bengal have the right to avail these schemes? Why are you not implementing it? She is busy promoting ‘Bhaipo’ (Mamata’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee). Everywhere, I see ‘Bhaipo’ and ‘Didi’ photographs. We can clearly see people in Bengal made up their mind to end Mamata and Bhaipo’s rule. People in Bengal will show them the door in the upcoming polls,†Nadda said.
“We are the real representatives of Bengal because we believe in good administration, culture, and we believe in the holistic development of the state. But on the other side, I would like to ask all of you who are present here – who is behind stealing rice meant for the poor? Who is involved in corruption and depriving the poor of Central government schemes? See, you all know, who are these people behind rampant corruption,†he said in an apparent reference to the Cyclone Amphan fund scam.
Mamata government represent lawlessness, anarchy, syndicate culture, cut money and corruption, he added as he raised the slogan, “Onek Hoychhey Mamata, Parivartan Chaichhey Janata’ (People in Bengal want to get rid of Mamata, they want to see change).
Prior to the public rally, Nadda visited Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture in Malda and interacted with the officials on what scientific approach they should suggest for the benefits of the farmers.
Nadda, state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh and other party leaders also had a community feast where they ate khichdi and vegetable curry while seated on the floor with farmers. Amid chants of “Jai Shri Ram”, Nadda also led a roadshow in Malda.
Standing atop a decorated lorry with Dilip Ghosh and others, he showered jubilant supporters with marigold petals and waved to enthusiastic crowds that gathered along the 1 km stretch between Foara More and Guru Rabindranath Tagore’s statue. People watched the procession from rooftops and balconies and were seen shooting videos with their mobile phones.
The streets were lined with BJP’s flags and buntings as the cavalcade inched its way through the narrow and crowded streets.
