Bengal: BJP’s outreach only for show, says Mamata Banerjee at Bankura rally

KHATRA (BANKURA): Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday took a dig at Union home minister Amit Shah’s eating lunch with an Adivasi family in Bankura’s Chaturdihi village earlier this month, saying it was only for cameras.
“Bahar khana banake Dalit ke ghar me khana khaya (The minister got his food cooked from outside and ate it there). He (Shah) ate basmati rice cooked in a five-star hotel and posto bora, while women members of the family were seen cutting vegetables and coriander leaves.His having lunch there was just for show,” Banerjee said at a public rally held in Bankura’s Khatra, 18 days after Shah’s visit that attempted to give a push to BJP’s outreach in the Adivasi belt.
The CM also pointed to the home minister’s statue gaffe to assert how he insulted Adivasis. “You all know how he garlanded the statue of an Adivasi hunter thinking it was of the iconic leader Birsa Munda. I have all respect for a hunter, but this is what it is. They went and vandalized the Vidyasagar statue, and offered tribute to a hunter and not Birsa Munda. They insulted Adivasis,” Banerjee said while declaring the anti-colonial leader’s birthday a state holiday.
In the same breath, the CM announced 100% scholarship coverage for Adivasi students.
Before the rally, Banerjee visited a Dalit family at Sardarpara in Bankura. Sitting on a chaupai, she asked family members about delivery of government services — free rations, quality of ration rice and also about the Covid situation in the village. A woman member told her they were yet to get a dwelling unit under government scheme. “We have released orders for building 10 lakh houses this year while our population is 10 crore. It will come to you in phases,” Banerjee said.
The feedback prompted the CM to take the government to the doorstep. At the Khatra rally, Banerjee turned to chief secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay and said: “Government delivery will reach your doorstep. From December 1 to January 31, all government departments as a whole will hold camps in every block. They will release pending pension, scholarship, bicycles on the spot.”
She also announced a new scheme, Kormoi Dharma, for 2 lakh rural youths engaged in rural marketing. “Youths here carry fish in boxes tied to their bicycles. Others carry potatoes, onions or even garments to the market. We will provide motorbikes to 2 lakh youths in this trade, with funds from cooperative banks,” the CM said.
Banerjee took the opportunity to point out how potato and onion prices were hitting the roof due to the Centre’s “faulty policies” . “The Centre has taken away potato, onion and cooking oil from the list of essential commodities. Black marketers under the new farm law are taking away all potatoes from our state. The government in Delhi is in their favour looting Adivasis, Dalits, minorities, farmers,” she said.
The CM hinted at worse if BJP took office in Bengal. “You are witnessing how prices are rising. If they come to power, they will introduce National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state and ask for certificates of your forefathers,” she said.
Banerjee then touched on the Bengali asmita chord against a party that had been “insulting” people of Bengal. “I won’t allow defaming of Bengal. There may be one or two rotten potatoes in the party, but they are not the majority. Eight of the 10 people here are good. Those who cry foul over misuse of Rs 2 here are silent about corruption to the tune of Rs 2 lakh crore elsewhere. I will form a new team to take care of the state,” the CM said.