Continuing her diatribe against the BJP Government Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has once again brought deprivation charges against the Centre alleging how New Delhi had withheld lawfully earned wages of 59 lakh people of Bengal who would go to vote in the general elections. She said her Government would any way start paying the money to the unpaid workers.

Iterating that the people of Bengal were not beggars but “self-respecting citizens” known for fighting for their rights Banerjee alleged how the Centre had not paid MNREGA wages for more than two years to the workers who gave their labour under the 100-days’ work scheme.

The Chief Minister was addressing a crowd at Khatra in Bankura district in Jangalmahal mostly inhabited by the tribal people. Attacking the powers that be for dividing the people in the name of religion and issuing ‘food fatwa’ on the people, Banerjee said, “they are telling you not to eat fish or meat or egg … they are closing non-vegetarian shops … but I want to ask who are they to impose such directions as what a person should eat and what a person should not eat … food habits go with culture.”

Alleging that the Government was trying to convert the character of tribal lands she vowed not to allow anyone to usurp or change the character of tribal holdings. “There is an effort to change the character of tribal lands which is illegal … but I will never allow the tribal land to be changed,” Banerjee said accusing the BJP of taking votes of the tribal people but doing nothing for them. She also alleged how the Centre had stopped the OBC scholarship adding her Government was giving scholarships to all the sections of people irrespective of their castes.