SOUTH 24 PARGANAS: Union Minister Smriti Irani has said the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre had given more funds to West Bengal than the previous UPA regime. Speaking at a Ganatantra Bachao rally in Joynagar, South 24 Parganas, Irani said the UPA government gave £10 billion to the state, while the Modi government gave £28 billion under the 14th Finance Commission. The senior BJP leader also hit out at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for spurning the Centre's healthcare scheme Ayushman Bharat.
She said, “Ask Mamata Banerjee why she is averse to Ayushman Bharat health scheme, under which poor people of the state can avail of Rs 5,00,000 per family for treatment purposes.” She claimed that 2,26,000 people in the state have benefited from the Jan Dhan Yojana, Irani slammed Mamata for being “most ungrateful” to the Centre. Taking potshots at the ruling party, the Union Minister alleged that even Trinamool Congress workers are not safe in the state. She said, “Some days ago a shootout took place near Joynagar area in which TMC workers were involved. Some of them were victims of the violence carried out by the party. The state government is throttling democracy in the state.”
She also took a dig at Banerjee for trying to form an alliance with Congress, which had inflicted torture on her party workers. Irani also lauded BJP workers across the state for braving the ruling party's “atrocities”. She said, “I thank all our workers here who have been subjected to continuous violence by CPM, Congress and now TMC. They have shown that they will work for the development despite such atrocities.”
Meanwhile, BJP chief Amit Shah skipped the party rally in West Bengal's Jhargram, following the state administration's denial of permission for landing his chopper in the area. He was scheduled to land in Jhargram, located in the southwestern part of the state.
