TMC challenges BJP for open debate on MGNREGA, Awas Yojana funding

Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has challenged senior BJP leaders to engage in an open debate with party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee regarding the issues of MGNREGA and PM Awas Yojana funding.

The TMC demanded that the ruling party at the Centre provide evidence to prove that funds were not withheld in the past two years.

Senior TMC leader and West Bengal minister Chandrima Bhattacharya told a press meet here on Sunday that while the BJP's leader of opposition in the West Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, claimed that funds were provided to the state under the Awas Yojana, this occurred before the withholding of funds by the Centre began.

Bhattacharya said that in the past two years, no funds had been allocated for housing projects or MGNREGA, leaving 59 lakh job card holders in dire straits.

The TMC invited Adhikari or BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar to a debate with Abhishek Banerjee, where facts and figures would be presented.

"We got the amount prior to 2022-23. In the past two years, not a single paisa had been given to the claimants of Awas Yojana or 59 lakh MGNREGA job card holders, leaving all of them in dire straits. The leader of opposition has no knowledge about these facts. We are inviting him or his party's state president Sukanta Majumdar for an open debate in any forum of BJP's choice with our national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee where he will place all facts and figures in public domain," Bhattacharya said.

Ministerial colleague and TMC leader Bratya Basu highlighted the "contrast" between the party's actions and the BJP's promises, pointing to initiatives like the Kanyashree project benefiting 87 lakh girls and the construction of 43 lakh rural houses in West Bengal.

Basu criticised the BJP for failing to engage in debate and urged leaders like Majumdar to confront Abhishek Banerjee with their arguments.

"Here lies the difference between the empty promise of sending Rs 15 lakh to every citizen's bank account and the false promise of two crore jobs every year before elections and not giving a single penny to the 59 lakh job card holders of Bengal in past two years. This has repeatedly been pointed out by our leaders Abhishek Banerjee and Mamata Banerjee," Basu said.

The statements from TMC leaders were prompted by Adhikari's remarks on social media, where he criticised Abhishek Banerjee for allegedly not speaking the truth.

Adhikari had cited the provision of funds to West Bengal for the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana as evidence of the Centre's support.

Basu also took a dig at the BJP's internal affairs, mocking their delay in releasing candidate lists for Lok Sabha seats.

He suggested that there seemed to be chaos within the BJP, with one candidate being withdrawn due to controversial views on women, resulting in only 19 candidates being named for Bengal so far.

"It is BJP's internal affair. But apparently there is utter chaos and bickering after the release of first list of 20 candidates. Of these, one candidate had to be withdrawn by the party for his controversial views on women. So in effect, BJP released a list of 19 candidates for Bengal till now," Basu added.

Responding to another question, Basu questioned BJP MP Shantanu Thakur's statement regarding making a fresh appeal for citizenship under the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act).

Basu pointed out that if Thakur had been a citizen and holding a ministerial position for the past five years, it raised questions about the necessity of seeking citizenship again. Thakur had mentioned making a fresh appeal to silence "false propaganda" and set a precedent.

Thakur had recently told reporters that though his migrant grandfather had got citizenship after producing necessary documents years ago, he is ready to make a fresh appeal under CAA rules again.