Mamata Banerjee on Friday descended to a personal level while attacking the Prime Minister for slashing State funds.
The Bengal Chief Minister who had upped the ante on the Prime Minister for the past fortnight laced her Friday diatribe with more venom saying, “The Narendra Modi Government has either stopped or slashed funds for State projects in order to save money. And for what will this money be usedIJ It is used for a pricey suit that will get you a place in the Guinness Book.”
If one wants his name to figure in the Guinness Book “one should do so by doing good work but here people are doing so by stitching suits.”
Apparently Banerjee was referring to the Prime Minister’s suit worth Rs 10 lakh that he had donned during his meeting with US President Barrack Obama when he visited India.
Curiously the Chief Minister who often complains about shortage of funds on Friday announced Rs 20,000 for each college and university students’ union to celebrate the Teachers’ Day.
Banerjee who has often expressed concern about the depleting State resources also asked the Modi Government to take a quick decision on the waiver of Bengal’s debt which stood at more than Rs 3 lakh crore.
“If they don’t take a decision on this in another three months then we will descend on the streets in Delhi.”
Banerjee who was addressing a Trinamool Congress Chatra Parishad meeting also faulted the Centre for linking Aadhaar card to scholarships and other Government benefits. “Only 40 per cent of Bengal has Aadhaar card which is issued by the Centre. If the Centre has failed in issuing them then where is our fault and why should our people suffer for thatIJ” she asked saying lakhs of dalits, SCs/STs and students of other notified castes would lose their scholarships if the Central scheme was successful.
On the ongoing ethnic problem in Coochbehar where the State Police had recently cracked down on the Narayani Sena allegedly raised by Greater Coochbehar People’s Association which wants a separate State carved out of some districts in Bengal and Assam Banerjee alleged BSF involvement in the whole affair.
“We have reports that the BSF is training the Narayani Sena to create disturbance in Coochbehar. This will not be tolerated. Earlier the Centre used BSF to create problem during the elections now they are using them to train anti-State people,” Banerjee said.