KOLKATA: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of peddling lies on the state government’s submission of utilisation certificates for Central projects and urged the BJP leadership to hold the mirror to itself.
She was addressing a meeting at Harischandrapur in Malda Uttar Lok Sabha constituency. “The Home Minister claimed that we have not sent utilisation certificates for Rs 2.32 lakh crore spending by our government. They blocked all funds to the state three years back,” she said at Malda Shakti Sangha ground in Malda town.
“I challenge him to prove it,” she said. “This is nothing but falsehood. Since coming to power 13 years ago, we have given every single break-up of expenses in utilisation certificates. I cannot take responsibility for whatever happened during the reign of CPM before 2011,” she said.
Mamata said the BJP in a “vindictive manner” withheld the money for 100 days’ work for Bengal. “We cannot let our people suffer. We have mobilised money so that 59 lakh people have already got money under 50 days’ work. The Centre has two weapons -- spreading lies and stopping Central funds due to us,” she said.
“We will never bow before the Centre. They stopped Awas Yojana money, but we have managed to provide housing funds for 11 lakh houses,” she said. The Chief Minister accused BJP leaders of only “badmouthing and threatening Bengal.”
“A BJP minister said they will never allow me to stop NRC in Bengal. I take up the challenge. We will not allow NRC in Bengal. We will not allow Uniform Civil Code,” she said.
‘Won’t allow NRC, CAA’
West Bengal chief minister Mamata said her government and party will not allow NRC in Bengal. We will not allow Uniform Civil Code either in state,” she said.