With Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticising the BJP-led Centre over the Union Budget, saying the share market witnessed a massive crash following the presentation of the Budget on Wednesday, hitting back at her, leader of the Opposition Suvendhu Adhikari on Thursday said the TMC chief’s claims are “baseless” and that “people know she talks anything”.
Speaking at a function in Purba Bardhaman district, Banerjee said, “The share market witnessed a massive crash after the Union Budget was presented… Telephone calls were made to some people asking them to pump in several thousand crores of rupees.”
“What she is saying is baseless. What is the basis of her claims? If she is saying it seriously as the CM of a state, then she should present a paper and show when investors were asked to invest. No one trusts her words, people know that she talks anything,” Adhikari told the media during a press conference at the BJP headquarters in Kolkata.
Banerjee also alleged that the BJP was using people’s money deposited with the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) and nationalised banks to benefit some of its party leaders.
“People like me, who believe in nation-first policy, strongly condemn her statement and wouldn’t accept it. I will advise her to speak to CM Naveen jee (referring to Odisha Chief Minister Navin Patnaik) and clear her misconceptions about this Budget. She doesn’t understand economics. If someone doesn’t understand economics, then I don’t think there is a need to react to her statements on the Budget,” said Adhikari, reiterating that the Budget is accepted and appreciated by all, including the CMs of non-BJP ruled states.
When asked about a cut in the mid-day meal allocation, Adhikari blamed it on corruption in the scheme for it. “Mid-day meal is allotted per head. We saw huge corruption in mid-day meal and awas yojana. Since teachers have refused to increase the number of students on TMC’s request, the number of students in government schools fell and schools received a reduced allocation,” said Adhikari.
— With PTI inputs