Didi blames ‘govt of thieves’ for ‘procession of deaths’
Times of India | 17 June 2025
12 Kolkata: "A govt of thieves" was running the country resulting in "the procession of deaths", CM Mamata Banerjee said on Monday alluding to last week's multiple tragedies in Ahmedabad, Uttarakhand and Pune in which nearly 290 people had died.Banerjee, slamming protesting BJP MLAs in the Bengal assembly for their corruption jibes, asked them to have "some shame". "The 2026 Bengal polls will reduce you to a big zero. People know your politics by now," she said, accusing BJP of "depriving Bengal's poor" even as it failed to halt "the procession of deaths in various mishaps" in BJP-governed states."A half-pant minister, who did not find time to go to Manipur even once, came to my neighbourhood (in Kalighat) to protest against an incident that had taken place four-five days ago. He then hurled slippers at a Sikh cop," Banerjee said without naming Bengal BJP president and junior Union minister Sukanta Majumdar. "I, too, can go to your home. And, if you love slippers so much, please open a slippers stall," she added."You shelter traitors. You strengthen those who sell the nation. Common people have no security. You have nothing specific to say, so you slander Trinamool and the administration to remain in news," Banerjee told BJP MLAs, reminding them that they had failed to prove even a single corruption charge. "I do not accept the ex-MP's pension of Rs 1.5 lakh. How dare they teach me ethics and honesty?" she asked, demanding answers from BJP on the Centre's non-disbursal of Bengal's funds."Stop depriving Bengal. We have been denied the 100-day payout for the last four years. Funds meant for us are being allocated to other states, which is a crime. You may have complaints. But 155-156 central teams have come and we have answered all their questions. But the funds block continues. You have to pay if you have made people work," she said, adding that similar complaints were there in BJP-governed Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, too; but their 100-day payouts were never stopped.Banerjee also responded to BJP's OBC jibes: "Bengal has 30% Muslims, among the highest in the country. This has been the demography since Partition. We were not even born then. Is it right to deny the minority food, education? Is it right to say we will not treat them as equals, as human beings?"