Mamata dismisses retirement rumours, vows to fight BJP
Amid talks of the Trinamool Congress gradually fading into oblivion, with most of its leaders, including MPs and MLAs, leaving the party or forming separate rebel platforms, former Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday reiterated that she was not going to quit politics anytime soon.
In a social media address, she ruled out “wild rumours” about her retirement, saying she would not take any political “sanyas” and would fight off the BJP instead. “I will not retire as some rumours are being spread … instead I will fight the BJP out,” she said.
Taking to Facebook Live, Banerjee said that the people of Bengal had read through the “true face” of the BJP, cautioning the people as well on the ongoing census process.
Referring to the recent protests at various places regarding the implementation of the Annapurna Bhandar scheme, presently being run by the Suvendu Adhikari Government, replacing the previous Laxmi Bhandar programme of the Trinamool Congress Government, Banerjee said that the BJP was going back on its pre-election promises.
The BJP had promised to enhance the women-specific Laxmi Bhandar scheme from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000. However, women who have been left out of the scheme have been protesting at various parts of the State, accusing the BJP Government of playing “partisan politics.”
Alleging once again that the national census being conducted by the BJP Government was another kind of National Register for Citizens (NRC), the former Chief Minister cautioned the people against its prejudiced implementation. She asked the people to be cautious while sharing their details or signing the census forms, reminding how lakhs of names were deleted from the electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision.
Incidentally, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had already gone on record earlier, saying how rumours were being spread about implementation of Annapurna Bhandar.
“There is no point spreading rumours and staging protests before the media … we are firm on our policy that no ineligible person will get the benefit of Annapurna Bhandar,” Adhikari said, adding that already more than 1.45 crore women had started getting the benefit of the scheme. “If another 20 to 30 lakh women are found eligible, then they too will get it,” he said.
The Annapurna Bhandar scheme is meant for women between 25 and 60 years of age and rules out families with an annual income of more than Rs 12 lakh.
