After Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC)-led West Bengal government of corruption and anarchy during his two-day tour of the state over the weekend, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said he was telling lies.
"Amit Shah has spoken lies. He claimed our state is zero in industries but we are Number 1 in MSME sector. He claimed we cannot build rural roads but we are also Number 1 in that. This is based on the Government of India's data," Banerjee said.
She added the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is "cheatingbaaz (cheat)". "It does not suit the home minister to tell lies just for political mileage. For politics, they can do and say anything."
Shah had also criticised the state government for allegedly not passing benefits of the central government schemes like PM Kisaan Samman Needhi Scheme to the people.
On the PM Kisaan Samman Needhi Scheme, the West Bengal CM explained she had written to Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, requesting him to send the money to the state government, but he did not do so. "For the central government schemes, the state government is the implementing authority. Instead, they (Centre) bypassed the state government and wanted to give the money directly to the people on behalf of their party. We never said that we will not give the money."
When asked about the central deputation of the three IPS officers from the state, Banerjee said her experience as a seven-term MP and two-term CM says there are a constitution and a convention. "This provision only applies at the time of emergency. Do you think they have already announced a super emergency in Bengal? As the election is coming, they want to make scare the officers."
On the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), Banerjee said they have been opposing the CAA since its passage. "We are against the CAA, National Population Register and National Register of Citizens. They (BJP) can't decide the fate of citizens; let them decide their own fate," said Banerjee who is scheduled to address a political rally on December 29 in Birbhum where Shah held a roadshow on Sunday.
West Bengal is due Assembly elections in 2021.
( With inputs from ANI )
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