JALPAIGURI: Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday challenged the Centre to publish a white paper on the funds disbursed under MGNREGA and Awaz Yojna and invited the BJP to engage in an open debate on the matter.
The TMC national general secretary, while addressing a rally in Jalpaiguri, said he would quit politics if the BJP-led Centre can prove that they have released the due funds for West Bengal.
"The BJP has issued advertisements in newspapers today stating that they have given money to Bengal. I tweeted this in the morning saying if they can produce a white paper on the funds disbursed under MGNREGA and Awas Yojana, I will debate with them wherever they wish," he said.
Banerjee insisted that the central government should present a detailed report proving that they have allocated any amount of money to West Bengal in the past three years.
He also urged the prime minister to explain why funding for Bengal was stopped after the BJP's defeat in the 2021 assembly elections.
"If they can prove it, I will leave politics. While they are asking for papers from others to prove their citizenship, why can't they produce papers to prove that they released the money to Bengal? Show us the transaction or notification details of the funds released in the past three years. All other states apart from Bengal have received MGNREGA funds," he said.
Claiming that "Modi ki guarantee" has "zero warranty", Banerjee on Sunday labelled BJP leaders as "anti-Bengal", who only visit the state during elections.
"Nowadays, people are talking about the so-called Modi Ki Guarantee. I can show a video to prove how much they lie. Modi ji's guarantee has zero warranty whereas we keep our promises. The prime minister and the BJP talk of guarantee and warranty, but how can the people 'who don't stay in Bengal' give any guarantee or warranty? After votes, they will not visit the state," he said.
The withholding of West Bengal's MGNREGA dues by the Centre has been a focal point in the state's political discourse for the past year.
The West Bengal government commenced the payment of dues to approximately 30 lakh MGNREGA workers on Monday, amounting to Rs 2,700 crore, pending since March 2022.