KOLKATA: On Tuesday, winter mercury soared in Siliguri in north Bengal, BJP’s turf that turned into the epicentre of Bengal politics, as West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her former lieutenant-turned-present leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, accused each other’s party of depriving the people of the state.
Mamata will visit Delhi end of this week to attend INDIA bloc’s meeting and a protest event to demand the state’s dues from the Centre. The Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday approved her request for a meeting with Modi informing her that the PM will meet her around 11 am on December 20.
A war of words between Mamata and Adhikari, who defeated her in Nandigram in East Midnapore in the high-octane 2021 Assembly polls, broke out in Siliguri on Tuesday as the Trinamool Congress supremo lambasted the BJP-led Centre for not funding the schemes meant for minorities and backward class people.
Adhikari hit back saying the people of north Bengal had realised her “hatred” for them four years ago, in the 2023 general elections, and as a result, the saffron camp bagged seven Lok Sabha seats out of eight in the northern part of the state.
“The Centre is behaving step-motherly with the people of Bengal. They are not giving us fund meant for several welfare schemes which target minorities and backward class people as beneficiaries. They are not even releasing funds for constructing roads in rural Bengal. The Centre already sent 108 teams to Bengal and showed no interest to clear the state’s dues, including Bengal’s stake in the GST,” lashed out Mamata while addressing a rally at Kanchanjangha stadium.
Adhikari described Mamata’s north Bengal visit as a tourist’s venture and her allegations against the Centre as a move to hoodwink the people of the region.
Didi to visit Delhi
Mamata will visit Delhi end of this week to attend INDIA bloc’s meeting and a protest event against the state’s dues from the Centre. The Prime Minister’s office on Tuesday approved her request for a meeting with Modi informing her that the PM will meet her around 11 am on December 20.