KOLKATA: The opposition Left and Congress today accused the BJP of being hand in glove with Trinamool Congress after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley virtually praised the change of guard in West Bengal from Left to TMC.
The Left and Congress alleged that BJP and TMC have reached a deal over CBI inquiry into multi-crore Saradha Chit fund scam and TMC supporting BJP in Parliament.
CPI(M) Politburo member Mohammed Salim said Jaitley's statement was contradicting the facts and figures of the Centre which has put Bengal far behind in various development and growth Indexes.
"When the Central government in its various facts and figures have put Bengal far behind in various development nd growth indexes, he is saying Bengal is marching forward. He himself is making contradicting statement with regard to his own government's version," Salim told PTI.
"Secondly this praise is nothing but a quid-pro-quo between BJP and TMC. Where the deal is TMC will stay mum on all the issues of corruption of BJP from Vyapam scam, Lalitgate to Land bill and the BJP will slow down the CBI investigation in Saradha scam," Salim alleged.
Salim's comment came in the backdrop of Jaitley's remark who without referring to any party, talked about pleasant change in Kolkata which is almost painted Blue as opposed to past when it was painted red.
Blue is the colour of ruling TMC and Red is associated with the Left parties.
"I recollect my days from the younger years, when I used to see this city painted red. And when it was painted red, of course new institutions were not being called. The existing ones were shifting out and West Bengal which was known not for producing many entrepreneurs but certainly known for producing intellectuals, even Ashok Lahiri and Amit Mitra had shifted out," Jaitley said.
The Union Finance Minister said while the change of colour has brought back both of them, the birth of a Bangla entrepreneur in form of Bandhan Bank is the most important.
"Jaitley is only trying to raise the comfort level of TMC, which has been accused of being involved in Saradha scam and whose minister is still in jail. Secondly, Bandhan has been giving micro finance services in rural Bengal for last two decades, which was during the Left rule. So how come he is saying there have been no entrepreneurs," Salim questioned.
Salim accused that it was due to the policies of the successive Central governments that there has been flight of capital from West Bengal.
State Congress President Adhir Chowdhury wondered whether the words of Jaitley is to be believed or of BJPPresident Amit Shah who had few days back hit out at the TMC government and had said the state cannot hope for investments unless an atmosphere of development existed in the state.
"It is quite obvious that there has been a political understanding between TMC and BJP. But we can't understand whom to believe - whether Amit Shah, who said that Bengal lacks the atmosphere for investments - or Arun Jaitley who came in praise of the TMC government," Chowdhury told PTI.
Jaitley who was in the city for the inauguration of Bandhan Bank, said political differences between the NDA government at the Centre and the Trinamool Congress-run West Bengal government would not be a factor in the development of the state.
"Political differences will continue. But for the development of the state, that will not matter," Jaitley said at the inauguration of Bandhan Bank here calling for a break from the past policies.