TMC dubs budget as ‘election gimmick’
Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress on Thursday dubbed the interim budget as an “election gimmick” ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and urged the BJP to “stop political theatrics and prioritise human welfare”.
Senior TMC leader and minister in the West Bengal government, Chandrima Bhattacharya, expressed the party’s discontent, highlighting “alarming statistics” on farmer suicides.
“Data reveals an average 30 farmers commit suicide everyday in India! FM @nsitharaman, your farce claims in #Budget2024 for ‘Annadata Welfare’ is a mockery to 53,478 farmer suicides in last 5 years. PM @narendramodi, STOP the charade & prioritise lives over politics!” Bhattacharya said in a post on X.
In an official statement, the TMC stated, “In response to our official mail dated October 7, Honourable Governor, West Bengal, CV Ananda Bose has granted an appointment on Monday, October 9 at 4 PM to the AITC delegation to be led by our national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.” The TMC celebrated the development on social media, declaring it a victory and stating that the governor had finally “relented” and agreed to meet the delegation in Kolkata. They highlighted their persistence in seeking a meeting regarding the release of pending MGNREGA funds from the Centre.
“Day 4 of our People’s Movement on a street in Kolkata and @BengalGovernor finally relents! MP @derekobrienmp submitted multiple letters to the Governor seeking a meeting with our delegation regarding the release of pending dues of MGNREGA funds from the Centre,” the TMC posted.
“After a lot of back and forth from ‘Bengal to Delhi,’ the Governor has finally agreed to meet the delegation led by @abhishekaitc at 4 PM on Oct 9. No force can diminish our spirit to keep fighting for Bengal’s rights!” they added.
On Saturday, a three-member Trinamool Congress delegation met the governor in Darjeeling and urged him to take up the issue of the state’s outstanding MGNREGA dues with the Centre. They also requested him to meet the protesters.
The TMC’s sit-in outside Raj Bhavan, demanding the clearance of state dues under MGNREGA, has been a focal point in Bengal’s political landscape since Thursday.
