Launched in 2021, ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ is a flagship scheme of the Mamata Banerjee-ruled government and provides financial assistance to underprivileged women. In this year’s state budget, the government had announced that it will increase the allocation for the scheme by Rs 12,000 crore. Once the hike is implemented, the financial assistance for beneficiaries in the general category will increase from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,000 to Rs 1200 for the SCs/ST communities.
Addressing a rally in Mathurapur of West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district, the Diamond Harbour MP said, “BJP leaders are saying that if they come to power (in West Bengal), they will give Rs 3,000 to every Lakshmir Bhandar beneficiary. The BJP and its allies are currently in power in 17 states. let alone Rs 3,000, I will quit politics if they even give Rs 1,500. Mamata Banerjee is there, so you (BJP) don’t have to give anything to Lakshmi Bhandar. Just issue a notification that cooking gas will be free for the next five years and we will withdraw candidates from all 42 seats in Bengal.”
BJP leaders Suvendu Adhikari and Sukanta Majumdar had in recent times promised Rs 3,000 as a monthly allowance to every poor woman in the state if the party came to power.
Banerjee, who is considered number two in the ruling party, hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his statement that he was exploring legal options to return the money seized by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) during its searches in Bengal to the poor.
“Modi called Rekha Patra and Amrita Roy. Not only that, the Prime Minister also called a BJP candidate in Tamil Nadu. He said that he will return the Rs 3000 crore confiscated by the ED. Modi has been seeking votes for five years by depositing Rs 21 in everyone’s bank accounts. The Saradha investigation has been going on for over 10 years. Did anyone get a refund?”
On Tuesday, PM Modi during a telephonic conversation with BJP’s Basirhat and Krishnanagar candidates Rekha Patra and ‘Rajmata’ Amrita Roy had stated that he was looking into legal options to return the money seized by probe agencies during search operations in the state. He also claimed that the said amount was around Rs 3,000 crore.
Urging the public to vote for TMC, Abhishek said, “In 2019, we won in Mathurapur by 2.5 lakh votes. This year, you should increase it (the number of votes) to 3 lakhs. I take responsibility for the overall development of Mathurapur.” He also said that in Diamond Harbor, the TMC will be winning with a margin of four lakh votes.
“The BJP is not getting candidates. Still, four seats are vacant (in Bengal). Let the ED, CBI, Income Tax department and NIA Director contest.”
Abhishek’s remarks stoked a sharp response from the Opposition parties. The BJP called his remarks a “political gimmick”. BJP leader Samik Bhattacharya said,
“People are not bothered anymore by what he is claiming. In states where the BJP is in power, people do not need Lakshmir Bhandar because they have employment opportunities and can earn money on their own.”
CPI(M) leader Tanmay Bhattacharya said Abhishek’s “political gimmick won’t work in the election”.
“Earlier too, Abhishek Banerjee has said this but in reality he did nothing. This is a political gimmick. It will not work in the election,” he added.
Congress leader Manoj Chakraborty said, “There is no difference between the BJP and TMC. People will give an answer on all these things in the coming Lok Sabha elections.”