Mamata steps up attack on Congress, says it came to Bengal to woo Muslims

The West Bengal CM says she is doubtful if the grand old party will get even 40 seats.

Trinamool Chief Mamata Banerjee, on Friday, continued her attack on Congress alleging that the intent of the party’s coming to West Bengal – in form of the yatra, was to woo Muslims, expressing doubt about the party winning 40 seats, despite contesting 300 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing supporters at the Trinamool’s anti-Centre dharna in Kolkata, organised to protest against the Centre’s fund-freeze to the state, Banerjee said that the Congress was suggested to contest 300 seats, and leave 243 seats to the regional parties.

Drawing a parallel with the BJP, the leader alleged that the Congress came to Bengal – holding a yatra – to woo Muslims, the BJP’s focus being the Hindus. She tagged the CPIM to Congress, in the said effort.

The Trinamool chief expressed doubt about Congress winning 40 seats, despite contesting 300. She questioned the “arrogance”, reiterating that two seats were offered to the party in West Bengal for Lok Sabha, but the offer was rejected, and the party didn’t connect with her afterwards.

The party, Banerjee said, did not inform about coming to Bengal for the yatra, and she got to know through the administration. “They called up Derek O'Brien for vehicle clearance. If you have the strength, defeat them in UP and MP… Where were you during the Manipur crisis? We sent a team…,” she said.

Besides talking about the arrest of Hemant Soren, the former Jharkhand chief minister, Banerjee wondered whether the “one nation one election” proposal was about moving towards a presidential form of government, and would people lose their right to choose what they would wear, and eat. She added that, over the years, in her political career, such a “vindictive” attitude has been observed.

The Trinamool leader, who will be at the dharna site for the first two days, will be leaving for Delhi on February 5 to attend a meeting concerning the “one nation, one election” proposal. The state budget is to take place on February 8.

About the Union budget, Banerjee said that it was a Vote on Account, and an “antim” (last) budget, rather than being an interim budget, as was pointed out by Shatrughan Sinha, party’s MP, who sat next to her on the dharna stage. Banerjee said that the budget brings pain to the poor. 

The Bengal chief minister has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the Comptroller & Auditor General of India’s state finance audit report for 2020-21. “It has been reported that there is a delay in the submission of Utilisation Certificates of Rs 2,29,099 crore since 2002-03 to 2020-21,” the chief minister stated in her letter, and explained the status from the state’s point of view. She mentioned that the observations made, to her, are “incorrect”, and have been made “without application of due diligence and examination of the procedures for submission of Utilisation Certificates as per Government of India guidelines”.