Darjeeling, April 30 -- Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday challenged Union minister Amit Shah stating that not a single Utilization Certificate (UC) is pending from the West Bengal government.
She further pulled up the Union Government, quoting a CAG report stating that the Centre failed to furnish UCs for Rs 52,000 crore.
Banerjee stated that the BJP's main intention is to defame Bengal. "BJP's wavelength is different. Bengal's wavelength is different. They do not match," stated Banerjee on a campaign trail in Malda on Tuesday. She addressed two back-to-back election campaign meetings along with walking in a roadshow, all in the two constituencies in the Malda district.
She addressed a public meeting at Chanchal, followed by another at Tantipara in support of Prasun Banerjee, the TMC candidate for Malda North constituency. This was followed by a roadshow from Sukanto More to the statue of Rabindranath Tagore at English Bazar in support of Shahnawaz Ali Raihan, the TMC candidate of Malda South constituency.
Addressing the meeting at Chanchal, Banerjee waved off allegations raised by Amit Shah from an election campaign in Memari in Bardhaman Purba constituency, against the TMC. Shah had alleged that Central funds had been stopped to Bengal as the Government had not furnished UCs.
"Modi Babu's Chacha (uncle) and Home minister Amit Dada Mahashay said in Memari that Bengal did not give the Utilisation Certificates of Rs 2.29 lakh crore and this is why they are not releasing our funds. I challenge Amit Shah that not a single UC is pending from our government. I will not take responsibility for the CPI(M), who is already friends with the BJP. I am stating official records," said Banerjee.
She then went on to state: "However CAG reports state that 32 departments of the Union Government did not give UCs for Rs 52,000 crore. What have you got to say to this?"
She stated that the BJP-led Union Government did not work for the welfare of the people but just spent money on advertisement.
"You could have used a portion of your advertisement money for paying up the 100 days work, rural road construction and housing scheme central funds to Bengal, so that people would not have to suffer" suggested Banerjee. She stated that the BJP leaders from Bengal were asking the BJP leaders in Delhi to stop funds that Bengal is entitled to.
"To end Delhi's tyrannical rule, vote for TMC. Uproot BJP from Malda and we will overthrow the BJP in Delhi" stated Banerjee. She however asked the public to be cautious of the BJP-Congress-CPI(M) nexus in Bengal.
"You all have suffered the tyranny of CPI(M) in Bengal also. Now Congress has forged an alliance with CPI(M) in Bengal. Why is the leader of that party in Bengal, so pampered by the BJP? Is he really a Congressman? Does he really oppose the BJP?" questioned Banerjee without naming Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Congress President of Bengal.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.