In a no-holds-barred attack against the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday accused her government of “looting and torturing” the people of the state to promote her party’s own setup of “hooliganism”
Sitharaman also alleged that the state government is not “proactive” in attracting the industry, which is leading to a low per capita consumption expenditure for Bengal.
“Ma, Mati, Manush are under the illusion that they (State government) are working for them. But that is not true. All three (Ma, Mati, Manush) are completely tortured and harassed to promote their own set of hooligan,” Sitharaman said while speaking at an event, “Bisistha Nagarik Sammelan” here.
Ma Mati Manush (Mother, Land and People) is a political slogan of the ruling Trinamool Congress.
The Union Finance Minister alleged that all the “big scams” during the TMC government have hit the poor people of the State very hard. “They are looting poor people’s money,” she said.
The Enforcement Directorate last year arrested State Minister Jyotipriya Mullick in a case related to alleged irregularities in the public distribution system. In connection with the alleged teacher recruitment scam, the ED had arrested the then state education minister Partha Chatterjee in 2022.
“Around 160 million midday meals have been robbed,” the BJP leader said. Sitharaman accused the Trinamool Congress leader of “victim shaming” in the Sandeshkhali issue.
“The women, who went through this horrendous crime, were shamed. They (Trinamool leaders) said nothing happened. They told the victims that they were bluffing. I cannot believe this!” the FM said.
According to her, the Mamata Banerjee led government is not “proactive” in attracting industries in the state which has got deindustrialised.
“Industries have gone out from here... but all of you would be equally aware that India’s own big-ticket investments in chip manufacturing has gone to Assam. Bengal, which was the leader for industries, could not be proactive in attracting the industry,” she said.
“Even till 2010, despite the communist here, net migration into Bengal was in the positive direction. But the gradual downward trend in gross capital formation has not been reversed after the TMC came into power (2011).
You need to reverse it. You need to have capital formation here in Bengal. You don’t even have a vibrant manufacturing sector any longer here purely because of policy flip flop, Mafia rule, tolabaji and corruption,” Sitharaman added.