Controversial farm laws and celebration of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary have suddenly become the two central topics ahead of Bengal Assembly elections.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday renewed her demands for declaring January 23 the birth anniversary of Netaji as a national holiday.
“I personally feel we haven't done anything important for Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose after independence. I've written a letter to Center to declare 23rd January, birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, as a national holiday. It is my demand,” the Chief Minister said unraveling grand programmes including an apolitical rally to celebrate the national icon’s birth day which would be observed as “Desh Nayak Diwas.”
In what experts called a ploy to evaluate her support base, Banerjee said, “the people of the State would be encouraged to blow conch shells and give azaans at the time of Netaji’s birth.”
The Chief Minister said she had earlier written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to consider declaring Netaji’s anniversary as a national holiday. The Government schools would be asked to prepare Jai Hind and Azad Hind brigades to promote nationalism, Banerjee who held video conferences with civil society members said.
Banerjee also said that she was against playing politics with farmers adding her Government would bring a motion in the State Assembly denouncing the farm laws.
“There should not be any politics over the farmers … they are our food providers … We are thinking to bring a motion in the State Assembly against the farm law for which the House will be opened for a couple of days,” Banerjee said.
Threatening a nationwide stir she had earlier said that the “the central government must withdraw this anti-people law.”
With an apparent eye on the elections the Chief Minister also announced a slew of welfare projects particularly free eye care.
The Government would free eye treatment to the people of the State and would “provide free spectacles to 8.25 lakh people,” Banerjee said adding 20 lakh cataract operations would also be conducted free of cost.
The students would be given free eye care in the Government schools, she said adding the eye treatment would be provided in about 1,200 gram panchayats and primary health care centres.