Kolkata: Making her stand clear on cut money issue, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee Wednesday asserted that there is nothing wrong if she tries to discipline her party workers, but no one has the right to malign them without evidence.
She also said the Congress and CPI(M) and the TMC should “come together” to fight the BJP. Her overtures were, however, spurned by both the opposition parties. “Whatever I had to say (about cut money) I said it in an internal meeting of party councillors. What is wrong if I try to discipline my party workers? What is wrong if I ask my party workers to ensure that there is no misuse of government schemes?” Banerjee said in the Assembly.
Protests and demonstrations have taken place in various parts of the state over the past one week with people demanding return of the “cut money” allegedly taken by elected representatives of the ruling TMC from beneficiaries of government schemes. “Just because we are a party of the masses it doesn’t mean anyone has the right to malign us without any evidence,” the chief minister said.
Banerjee, however, ruled out the demand for setting up an inquiry commission to probe the “cut money” issue and asked the opposition to move the state Lokayukta on the issue.
She alleged that the BJP is trying to bring in an “alien culture” in Bengal and parties like the Congress, CPI(M) and TMC have to join hands to fight the saffron party.
“The people of the state are witnessing in Bhatpara what happens if you vote for BJP. I feel all of us [the TMC, Congress and CPI(M)] should come together in the fight against BJP. It doesn’t mean we have to join hands politically, but on common issues at the national level we can come together,” Banerjee, known for her steadfast opposition to BJP, said.
When CPI(M) and Congress legislators protested Banerjee’s proposal, she said all the 23 opposition parties should unitedly fight against malfunctioning of EVMs. “Before the (Lok Sabha) elections we (opposition parties) tried to raise our voice against EVMs. We even approached the Supreme Court, but it didn’t yield any result. We can take up the matter again and move court,” the chief minister said.
Reacting to Banerjee’s appeal for joining hands against BJP, both Congress and CPI(M) blamed her policies for the strengthening of the saffron party in Bengal.
Leader of Opposition Abdul Mannan said, “We don’t need lessons from Mamata Banerjee about ways to fight the BJP. It is due to her policies that BJP has gained ground in Bengal. She should first accept that it was due to her fault that BJP has made inroads in Bengal. She has paved the way for BJP in Bengal.”
Banerjee said post-poll violence in the state has claimed 10 lives, out of which eight were TMC workers and two of the BJP.
“It is due to the BJP that political violence in Bengal is taking place. We condemn any kind of killing. But incidents in Bhatpara have shown the kind of danger BJP poses to Bengal,” she said.