Armed with data, TMC counters Shah’s claims on BJP workers’ killings

A day after Union home minister Amit Shah welcomed seven Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLAs, including Suvendu Adhikari and three MLAs from other parties into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at a rally in Midnapore, the TMC on Sunday hit back with what it called a fact sheet. Shah, at the rally, brought several charges against the ruling party and therefore the government .

TMC leader within the Rajya Sabha, Derek O’Brien, circulated data on social media to counter Shah’s claims. Shah’s Sunday visit to Visva Bharati, Bengal’s only Central university that was found out by Rabindranath Tagore, was also criticized by the TMC and Left student unions.

“Shah claimed on Saturday that 300 BJP workers are killed in Bengal in one and a half years. this is often a lie. Many BJP workers are being killed in faction feuds. Even suicides are being happened as political killings. Fact is that since 1998, 1,027 TMC workers are killed. it's also on record that 116 BJP Lok Sabha members have record ,” said senior TMC leader and panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee.

On Saturday, Shah defended Adhikari who was branded by the TMC as a traitor. “Didi (Mamata Banerjee) didn’t you allow the Congress and came to the TMC? Wasn’t it changing allegiance?” Shah said.

“Mamata Banerjee didn't leave the Congress to hitch another party. If a Union Minister tried to unload the history of our country one must protest. Banerjee wasn't a defector. She found out the TMC, a replacement party, in 1998,” said Mukherjee.

“Shah also claimed that folks in Bengal don't get benefits under the Centre’s Ayushmann Bharat healthcare scheme. He doesn't know the facts. Banerjee started the Swasthya Sathi programme two years before Ayushmann Bharat was launched. Under this scheme, 1.4 crore families are provided insurance that covers expenses up to Rs 5 lakh once a year ,” said Mukherjee.

“Shah claimed that farmers in Bengal are bereft of Rs 6,000 once a year under the Prime Minister’s central scheme. Reality is that Bengal provides farmers annual assistance of Rs 5,000 per acre under the Krishak Bandhu programme. The Central scheme provides only Rs 1,214 per acre. Also, the Bengal government pays full premium under Sasya Bima whereas the Centre takes a part of premium from farmers,” said Mukherjee.

“Shah had food at a villager’s home on Saturday and said the house was provided under the Prime Minister Awas Yojna scheme. this is often another false claim,” said Mukherjee.

“The Centre pays 60 per cent of the cash under this scheme while the state pays the remainder . Between 2011-2020, the state has built 33,87,000 houses costing Rs 39,993 crore. Under the state’s own Geetanjali Prakalpa, 3,90,000 houses were built at an expense of Rs 3,550 crore. Under the ‘Housing for All’ scheme, 4,30,000 houses were built. This cost the state exchequer another Rs 7,000 crore,” said Mukherjee.

The TMC also countered Shah’s claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sent food grains for people of Bengal and it had been misappropriated by TMC workers. “Reality is that under Bengal’s Khadya Sathi programme, around 10 crore people are going to be provided free ration till June 2021. No government within the country has ever done this. this is often an all-time record,” said Mukherjee.

During the day, chief minister Mamata Banerjee condemned the Centre’s move to send three Indian Police Service officers to other states. These officers were responsible of the safety of BJP national president JP Nadda’s convoy that was stoned in South 24 Parganas district on December 10.

TMC leaders said chief ministers from non-BJP-ruled states have called up Banerjee and expressed their solidarity on this issue.

“Centre is brazenly interfering with State Govt functioning by transferring cops . My gratitude to @bhupeshbaghel @ArvindKejriwal @capt_amarinder @ashokgehlot51 & @mkstalin for showing solidarity to people of Bengal & reaffirming their commitment to federalism. Thank you!” tweeted Mamata Banerjee on Sunday.

On Sunday, Shah’s visit to Visva Bharati was also criticized by the TMC.

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TMC leaders in Kolkata staged a protest against placards, with images of Shah placed above Tagore, that were found everywhere Bolpur town on Friday. This triggered a robust reaction among residents. Claiming that the TMC had put up the placards to sabotage Shah’s visit, BJP workers quickly removed them.

The TMC found out a podium outside the Tagore family’s palatial home at Jorasanko in north Kolkata and staged a protest. “The placards demeaned Tagore’s rich heritage,” said Mukherjee.

The Students Federation of India, the students’ wing of the CPI(M), alleged that students who opposed Shah’s visit to Visva Bharati were pressured by the university authorities to withdraw the agitation.

“When the scholars refused to comply, the police put two student leaders under confinement . SFI condemns this. we've always fought against saffronisation of educational spaces,” said SFI national general secretary Mayukh Biswas.

An official from the Santiniketan police headquarters said the police took no such action.(Asianewsera)