The top Trinamool Congress leadership including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew and party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday slammed the BJP Government for using the central agencies to falsely implicate the Opposition leaders but doing nothing to tame the rising prices.
“The Government is sending ED and CBI to raid against the politicians but it is conducting no raid in the markets to contain the oppressive prices and allowing the fuel prices to go up every day hurting the basic needs of the people,” the Bengal Chief Minister said after conducting a review meeting with her senior officials over the rising inflation.
Saying that India’s condition was worse than that of Sri Lanka, Banerjee said, “instead of using the ED and CBI against the opposition the Centre should call an all-party meeting to discuss the situation.”
Urging the Centre to take measures like temporarily stopping collection of toll-tax “that will help the transporters of goods,” Banerjee said that the “Centre should extend the GST time limit for another five years.”
The Chief Minister’s statements were echoed by her nephew Abhishek Banerjee who told an election rally at Ballygunge in South Kolkata that India’s economic condition was 20 times as bad as that of Sri Lsanka which had an external debt of 6 lakh crores.
“Petrol was selling for `76 in 2019 but it is selling for `115 today under the Acchhe Din Government…for political needs this Government exempts a movie from taxes but imposes levy on essential items and allows the price of life saving drugs to go up se4veral times… Paracetamol which sold for `18-20 a pack is now selling for `40 … this is the sample of Acchhe Din Government … and when you raise your voice they will send ED and CBI to your house,” Junior Banerjee said insisting he would not be intimidated by the central agencies.
“The ED grilled me at Delhi office for 9 hours … I replied to all questions and came out with confidence … they thought that they will be able to cow me down … but I am made of different mettle … I will not be intimidated by them,” he said.