West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Thursday claimed that in the event of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regaining power at the Centre after the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024., there would be an escalation in the price of cooking gas cylinders to ₹2,000.
The chief minister was addressing a gathering at a government programme in Jhargram district.
“We distributed rice at a free cost… If they (BJP) win again, the gas price can be increased up to Rs.1500-2000. You have to collect cow dung and wood again for the cooking. This is the scenario of Delhi. They don’t love West Bengal and tribal people,” Mamata Banerjee said, ANI reported.
She also issued an ultimatum to the BJP-led central government, stating that houses under the Awas Yojana must be completed by the end of April. She warned that if this deadline is not met, her government would start construction from May onwards.
On Tuesday, Banerjee had set a deadline of April 1 for the central government to complete building houses for the beneficiaries or else her government would build around 11 lakh houses for them.
Banerjee referred to her government’s actions of paying MGNREGA workers their overdue wages, which she claimed had not been provided by the BJP-led central government. “I asked one youth whether he got the money for the 100 days work scheme. He said he got around ₹30,000. This was the amount that the central government had not paid people like him for the last two years. We have paid 59 lakh people their dues,” Banerjee said.
Shajahan Sheikh arrest: BJP vs TMC
However, the Trinamool Congress leader chose not to address the arrest of party leader Shajahan Sheikh, who stands accused of sexual offenses against women and land grabbing in the Sandeshkhali area of North 24 Parganas district. Sheikh was apprehended early on Thursday.
The BJP and the Trinamool Congress are presently engaged in an intense political confrontation over the arrest of TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh, who is the primary suspect in the Sandeshkhali sexual assault case. The Trinamool Congress has taken action by suspending the controversial politician from the party for a period of six years.
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose said, “…I am glad that good things are happening”.
West Bengal BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh said, “We hope that the truth of Sandeshkhali will come out through different kinds of agencies as well as court intervention. Party of the scoundrels and criminals – the TMC – will face the consequences”.
On the arrest of TMC MP Santanu Sen said that the arrest of Shahjahan is a prove that the Mamata-led Bengal government follows ‘rajdharma’ in an administrative manner. “We had taken action against Partha Chatterjee and Jyotipriya Mallick, and similarly, we have taken action against Shibu Hazra and Uttam Sardar and now Sheikh Shahjahan has been arrested. On one side, accused leaders openly move in BJP-ruled states and on the other side our administration doesn’t spare accused TMC leaders if there is evidence against them. BJP should learn ‘rajdharma’ from the TMC”.
-With agency inputs
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Published: 01 Mar 2024, 08:00 AM IST