Speaking at a public distribution programme in Birbhum, the chief minister said: “I am telling the people of Bengal, don’t be afraid. I am here. I will not allow any scheme in Bengal to be linked with the Aadhaar card.”

“First the Centre insists on this (Aadhaar) card. Then suddenly it cancelled many cards without informing anyone. I know some cards were cancelled in Bardhaman, some people’s cards were cancelled in Birbhum, and some in both 24 Parganas. This is the conspiracy of the Centre… so that you won’t get the advantage of social schemes,” the Trinamool Congress chief said.

“Whether Aadhaar is there or not, no project or facility of the state government will be stopped… From now on, I will not allow Aadhaar to be linked to any welfare scheme of the state,” she added.

The CM also said that she had Chief Secretary BP Gopalika to start a portal on which people can file complaints regarding Aadhaar cancellation. “After getting the complaints, we will take proper measures,” she added.

She said that if banks don’t allow transactions for customers without Aadhaar cards, cooperative banks can be an alternative. “If the banks think they will not work without the Aadhaar cards, then we will work without them… we have so many cooperative banks and other financial organisations,” Banerjee said.

Referring to the ongoing agitation of the farmers in Haryana and Punjab demanding the government’s guarantee on minimum support price (MSP), Banerjee said that cultivators in Bengal do not face any problems. “I salute the farmers’ protest. I condemn the attacks on them. In Bengal, farmers are our ‘annadatas’ who provide us with food. But look at the way they are being treated by them (BJP). Look at how Punjab, Delhi, and Haryana are burning. I sympathise with our farmers,” she said.

The TMC chief also alleged that the BJP is conspiring to implement NRC as well as CAA. “Be alert, they are also playing a game in the name of implementing the Uniform Civil Code,” she said.