Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Jagat Prakash Nadda on Saturday slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for not implementing the PM Kisan scheme in the state and vowed to implement the beneficiary scheme ahead of the upcoming state elections.
While addressing ‘Krishak Suraksha Sabha’ at Jagdanandpur village ground in Burdwan, Nadda said, “It is unfortunate that there are people who are misleading the farmers (on farm bill). Therefore, we have decided to launch ‘Krishak Bhoj’ from January 24 to January 31 in 40,000 Gram Sabha in Bengal to make them understand the actual benefits of farmer’s policies and schemes launched by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
He said, “Ever since Modi ji became the Prime Minister, he has increased the budget for farmers to more than six times. He also implemented the Swaminathan Commission report’s recommendations and increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) by nearly 50 per cent. But here in Bengal, Didi blocks all the central schemes and deprives poor people and farmers of availing the benefits.”
Lashing out at Banerjee for depriving over 70 lakh farmers benefits such as the Rs 6,000 per year under the Centre’s flagship PM-KISAN scheme, he said, “It is unfortunate that the farmers of West Bengal are deprived of PM Kisan scheme.” and asked why the welfare scheme was not implemented in the state.
He said the ruling TMC government will be “surprised” to know that more than 23 lakh farmers from Bengal have applied online to the scheme and accused the government of halting the verification process.
“Today, West Bengal stands at 24 positions out of 29 states as far as the farmers’ welfare are concerned. People’s expectations towards TMC have now turned into their anger due to bad governance,” he said assuring that the BJP under PM Modi’s leadership will ensure “good governance in Bengal.”
Nadda said it is “too late” for the TMC government to agree to implement the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi and accused the state of being “compelled” to allow the beneficiary scheme knowing that “anger of the farmers over being deprived of the central schemes will wipe the TMC government in the state”.
“The Mamata Banerjee government agreed to implement the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi after such a long time as she has realised that the TMC is fast losing ground in Bengal. But, let me say it clearly that it is already too late for the TMC government,” he was quoted as saying.
In a veiled attack at Trinamool MP and Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee, he said: “Our target is to ensure good governance and development in West Bengal and on the other side ‘rajkumar’ (Abhishek Banerjee) is busy minting money. Now the people of Bengal have to decide what they want.” He also accused her of blocking the Ayushman Bharat scheme in the state.
On alleged Cyclone Amphan fund scam, he said “Mamata’s party leaders siphoned off money and food grains sent by the Centre for the affected people during Amphan. The Calcutta high court directed the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India to audit the distribution of relief materials and compensation in the aftermath of cyclone Amphan in West Bengal. But a scared Mamata di challenged the decision in the Supreme Court. This proves that corruption was involved. I would like to ask her, whom she is trying to shelter?”
Assembly elections are due in West Bengal in April-May this year and the BJP has already launched a massive aggressive campaign to oust the Trinamool Congress government in the state.
On December 11, 2020, in an unprecedented move – Union Home Minister Amit Shah had sent a letter to the West Bengal government mentioning that they want three IPS officers – deployed for BJP president JP Nadda’s security – on Central deputation.
The IPS officers are – Inspector General of Police, South Bengal, Rajiv Pandey, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Presidency Range, Pravin Kumar Tripathi and Superintendent of Police, Diamond Harbour, Bholanath Pandey.
The Union Home Ministry’s move came after a convoy of BJP leaders including Nadda, Mukul Roy, Dilip Ghosh, Kailash Vijayvargiya was attacked with stones, bricks and glass bottles at Sirakol area in South 24-Parganas district on December 10.
Several cars, including that of Vijayvargiya and Dilip Ghosh, were damaged in the attack. Since Nadda’s vehicle was bulletproof – he didn’t suffer any injuries and all the leaders reached the public rally venue amid tight security.
On the day of the convoy attack incident, Banerjee had suspected conspiracy and ordered a probe to find details about the BJP leader’s convoy’s attack.
This is Nadda’s fourth Bengal visit in the last four months. Earlier, he visited the State on October 19 2020, and held a series of meetings at Siliguri in North Bengal. He made a state visit again on November 6 and chaired the party and public meetings in Burdwan and West Midnapore districts.
Ahead of the crucial Assembly polls in West Bengal, the BJP national president again visited the State on December 11. His visit to the Purba Barddhaman district today was packed with marathon political activities.
Nadda reached out to farmers and collected fistfuls of rice from five farmers’ households as part of the BJP’s door-to-door ‘Chal Songroho’ (rice collection) drive in Jagadanandapur village in Katwa. Accompanied by West Bengal BJP leaders including the party’s state unit chief Dilip Ghosh, Nadda spoke with farmers and had lunch in the kuccha house of a farmer Mathura Mondal.
He will be holding a road-show from Burdwan Clock Tower to Lord Curzon Gate in Burdwan and address a press conference in the evening.
Nadda’s reach out to the farmers is planned in the midst of deadlock between the government and farmers agitating on Delhi’s border over the Centre’s new agricultural laws. The eighth round of talks between the Centre and protesting farmers on Friday failed to break an over-a-month-long deadlock. The next meeting is scheduled on January 15, 2021.
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