Kolkata, Feb 6 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president J.P. Nadda on Saturday attacked West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for depriving about 70 lakhs farmers in the state from receiving the money under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana.
He said that because of the West Bengal CM's ego, the farmers of Bengal could not avail the benefits of the Central scheme.
"It is because of her ego. What she did was an injustice to the farmers. She did not allow the welfare programme. Now as the elections are approaching, about 25 lakh farmers have registered for the scheme on their own. And now realising the whole thing, she has also given her consent. There is no point crying over spilled milk," Nadda said while addressing a political programme - Krishak Suraksha Abhiyan - in Malda district.
Nadda said that about 70 lakh farmers have been deprived of annual aid of Rs 6,000 for the last two years. "The people of Bengal will bid "ta-ta" to Mamata Di and her Trinamool Congress just after the assembly elections," he added.
The BJP chief joined around 4,000 farmers for a common-lunch (saha bhog) in the district on Saturday. Around 30 cooks prepared the lunch which included items like khichdi, mixed vegetables, fried brinjal, chutney and papad - all ingredients collected from farmers' households as a part of BJP's "Ek Mutti Chawal" campaign.
"The food was really delicious. It had the love of our farmers," Nadda said, assuring that the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre would fulfil the dreams and aspirations of the farmers. He also visited the Central Institute of Subtropical Horticulture during his visit.
The BJP chief's rally in Bengal came on a day when farm unions across India called for a three-hour nationwide Chakka Jam programme, in a bid to block the major arterial stretches across the country.
When the BJP planned to organise a Rath Yatra (chariot) from different parts of Bengal, the incumbent Trinamool Congress alleged that the saffron brigade was trying to fuel communal flare-ups in the state before the forthcoming Assembly polls.
The grand BJP roadshow was attended by party workers, shouting slogans and showering flower petals on the BJP national president who stood on the decorated vehicle along with party's unit head Dilip Ghosh and others.
( With inputs from IANS )
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