New Delhi:

Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari said that North Bengal has always been the Prime Minister’s bastion.

“North Bengal is PM Modi’s bastion. Here, people respect him, love him and consider him to be their own. North Bengal has been in PM Modi’s favour since 2014. In 2019, his vote percentage increased and in 2021, his support base in North Bengal was intact,” Suvendu Adhikari said speaking to reporters on Saturday.

During his Siliguri visit on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on Trinamool Congress and the opposition INDIA bloc saying that it does not affect the West Bengal government when people are struggling or suffering.

Addressing a gathering here, PM Modi pointed out that to benefit the TMC’s ‘tolabaz’, 25 lakh fake job cards were created and given to the people.

“TMC government gives money to people chosen by ‘tolabaz’. It does not affect TMC when you are struggling or suffering. The entire country is discussing what TMC leaders did to the Dalit and Adivasi women of Sandeshkhali. Atrocities against women and to loot the hard-earned money of the poor this is what TMC’s ‘tolabaz’ do,” he said.

Further, hitting out at the TMC over release of MGNREGA wages (issue on which the Mamata Banerjee-led government has been protesting for a long time), PM Modi said that Centre sends the money from Delhi but TMC government looted it.

Exposing the malafide pratices of the TMC government, PM Modi said, “TMC government is looting you at every step. Modi sends the money for MNREGA wages from Delhi but the TMC government here has looted you at every step. To benefit the TMC’s ‘tolabaz’, 25 lakh fake job cards were created and given to the people. If Modi sends money to the poor’s houses, then the TMC government gives your money to the people chosen by ‘tolabaz’.”

The Prime Minister said that everyone in the country is able to see the problems in West Bengal but the irony is that, “First the left did not listen to you and then the TMC also ignored you. They were busy looting the land of the poor”.

“Therefore, when you gave me the opportunity I gave back all those facilities to you all. We gave free gas connections to the sisters under the Ujjwala scheme, but the TMC government is not even allowing Ujjwala gas connections to more than 14 lakh sisters. Yesterday on Women’s Day, we have taken another step that now the gas cylinder will become cheaper by Rs 100 more. The free ration scheme has also been extended for another five years,” he said.

Further, hitting out at the INDIA bloc, the Prime Minister said that the INDI Alliance of TMC, Congress and Left is also opposing giving you a free ration. Here in Bengal, the corrupt government has made a scam in your ration scheme itself.

“TMC, Congress and INDIA alliance has discriminated with the people of North Bengal. They have devoid this place of development. These people have deprived this area of development. Their leaders and ministers are in jail in the ration scam case. Here the government is not implementing the Ayushman scheme at all,” the Prime Minister said.

He also mentioned that the BJP is committed to fulfilling every aspirations and dream with peace and harmony that’s why after waiting for years, the Ram Temple has been built in Ayodhya.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Kolkata:

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who interacted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Raj Bhavan on Friday evening, called it a courtesy meeting as per protocol.

Banerjee said she also took up the issue of the state’s pending dues with the PM.

“I mentioned the issues of the state to the prime minister, besides having a chat with him,” Banerjee told reporters after the meeting.

Chief Minister of West Bengal, @MamataOfficial Ji, met PM @narendramodi. pic.twitter.com/3imP8iD0Et

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) March 1, 2024

Asked about the issue of the Centre’s dues to the state, which the ruling TMC has been flagging frequently, Banerjee said, “I raised that matter also.” 

PM Modi, who is on a two-day tour of West Bengal from Friday, will stay the night at Raj Bhavan.

Banerjee’s convoy entered the governor’s house shortly after the prime minister arrived there.

Taking to X, Governor C V Ananda Bose said he received the PM at the Raj Bhavan.

Bose had also attended the prime minister’s official programme at Arambagh earlier in the day, where Modi inaugurated, dedicated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth over Rs 7,200 crore.

In December last year, Banerjee had met PM Modi in New Delhi to press for the release of the state’s dues.

According to the TMC, the Centre owed Rs 1.18 lakh crore to West Bengal.

The Union government has said it released on Thursday two tranches of tax devolution to all states, with West Bengal receiving Rs 10,692 crore, the fourth highest amount after Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.

The state government commenced payment of dues to approximately 30 lakh MGNREGA workers on Monday, amounting to Rs 2,700 crore, pending since March 2022.

The withholding of West Bengal’s MGNREGA dues by the Centre has been a focal point in the state’s political discourse for the past one year.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)