Smriti Irani questions Mamata’s effort to form alliance

Questioning West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's effort to form a pan-India alliance against BJP with other opposition parties including Congress, Union Minister Smriti Irani said on Thursday that Banerjee was trying to get into an alliance with Congress even as the UPA government provided less funds to Bengal than the current NDA regime.

“The UPA government allotted only Rs. 1 lakh crore for Bengal the NDA government has given Rs. 2.80 lakh crore to the state under the 14th Finance Commission,” said Irani. She was addressing a party rally at Joynagar in South 24 Parganas district. She also alleged that the Congress-led opposition alliance lacks any positive direction and only aimed towards electoral gains.

The Union Minister slammed Banerjee for pulling out Bengal from the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat scheme. “I request you (the people) to ask Mamata Banerjee why did she pull out Bengal from the Ayushman Bharat scheme through which poor people can avail up to Rs. 5 lakh per family for medical expenditure,” said Irani.

Ever since Banerjee’s mega opposition rally in Kolkata on January 19, BJP leaders have repeatedly criticised her initiative to unify the opposition. Earlier BJP president Amit Shah said that gathbandhan at Banerjee’s mega rally had nine leaders with Prime Ministerial ambition.