KOLKATA: A few hours after PM Narendra Modi held a virtual interaction with chief ministers on the Covid review issue on Wednesday, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee hit out at the PM and the BJP-led Centre on several issues ranging from the Bengal government’s dues from the Centre to the PM’s request to reduce VAT on fuel to benefit the common people.
Mamata’s retort came three days before she is scheduled to be present in Delhi for a conference of chief ministers and high court judges which will be inaugurated by Modi.
"It would have been better had the PM not spoken on fuel price hike in a Covid-19 meeting. It was his agenda. Today’s interaction with the PM was completely one-sided and misleading. The facts shared by him are wrong. We have been providing a subsidy of Rs 1 on every litre of petrol and diesel for the last three years. We have spent Rs 1,500 crore on this," she said.
Mamata also said there was no scope for the chief ministers to speak in the meeting and that was why no one could counter the PM’s statement.
Modi flagged higher fuel prices in opposition-ruled states like Maharashtra, West Bengal and Kerala.
"The Centre is not paying the state’s dues. They don’t give money and give dialogues," Mamata said.
At a time when a series of alleged rapes took place in Bengal in the recent past, Mamata claimed Bengal’s law and order is good. "In Bengal, our law and order situation is good. But a different picture is being portrayed by a section of media. In my state, we lodge complaints. In MP, Gujarat, UP, they don’t allow to lodge complaints," she said.
Referring to incidents in BJP-ruled states, the Bengal CM hit out saying, "When you talk about Bengal, look at UP where journalists were made naked. You sent fact-finding team to Bengal and we did the same. In Bengal, if your people come, we welcome them on red carpet. But our team was not allowed in BJP-ruled states. You have weakened the democracy and federal structure."