Mamata slams BJP: West Bengal Chief Minister alleged that the BJP has ‘destroyed’ Kashmir and Manipur through its ‘divisive politics’ and accused the party of instigating ‘secessionist groups’ in Bengal.
She alleged that the BJP is attempting to divide the state for its ‘own political gains’.
"The BJP has destroyed Kashmir and Manipur through its divisive politics and is now after West Bengal. They support and instigate divisive forces and secessionist groups in North Bengal and Jangal Mahal (in the south) to divide the state. We will not allow division of the state and defeat such forces," she said while addressing a panchayat poll rally at Dubrajpur in Birbhum district virtually.
She alleged that the BJP’s policies have brought destruction to Manipur which is reeling under violence for over a month and has claimed over 100 lives.
After she suffered an injury during an emergency chopper landing a few days ago near Siliguri, Banerjee decided to address rallies for the upcoming panchayat polls virtually.
Mamata alleges lack of Central funds
The Chief Minister alleged that the Centre has stopped the funds allocated to the state under the MGNREGA scheme of 11.36 lakh beneficiaries.
"The BJP-led Centre has halted funds under Awas Yojana and 100-day work scheme. The funds do not belong to the BJP or the Centre; it is our money that the union government deducts as taxes and is supposed to return to us. But they have stopped funds for Bengal," Banerjee claimed.
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 (MGNREGA) aims at enhancing the livelihood security of households in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year.
Banerjee had conducted a two-day sit-in demonstration in March against the Centre's alleged move of not releasing funds to the state for MGNREGA and other welfare schemes.
The state's three-tier panchayat election is scheduled to be held on July 8.
Widespread violence ahead of the poll has left at least 10 people dead and several injured in various parts of the state.
BJP's apprehensions
The BJP on Saturday (July 1) expressed apprehensions of large-scale rigging and violence by the ruling TMC on the voting day of the panchayat polls on July 8.
BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar released the party’s manifesto and said that role of the State Election Commission (SEC), which conducts the rural polls, is not above suspicion as it was not found to be vigilant enough to curb incidents of violence in the run-up to the July 8 election.
He said that the BJP will give panchayats purged of thieves which will stop "siphoning off" of cut money in the implementation of central projects like Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and other central projects.
"Wherever BJP is strong, our workers will play the role of central forces," he said as he referred to the reports that the SEC will not deploy central paramilitary forces in different polling booths where there is a possibility of violence during votes.
He claimed that the BJP will get majority in a higher number of zilla parishads, panchayats in both south and north Bengal if there was a free and fair poll.
(With PTI inputs)
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