West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday called newly appointed Governor R N Ravi a “BJP cadre” and alleged that outgoing governor C V Ananda Bose was forced to resign.
“Have you seen how C V Ananda Bose was removed? I know everything. He was threatened. They want to distribute money from Lok Bhavan. They want Lok Bhavan to be converted into a BJP party office. But everybody may not agree to Delhi’s whims and fancies,” Banerjee alleged while continuing her protest against the Election Commission.
Bose had submitted his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu on March 5, ahead of the Assembly elections in the state, without citing any reasons.
The Trinamool Congress chief claimed that she knew what Ravi did during his tenure as Tamil Nadu governor. “I heard he harassed Stalin and his government. Every day, he called them. I heard that he had to face many comments from the Supreme Court. He is a cadre of the BJP. But remember, West Bengal is a different place. You may have done whatever you wanted in Tamil Nadu, but you can’t do that here,” Banerjee said.
She also hit out at the Centre for “not allowing any governor to complete their term”. “Dhankhar (former vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar) was removed and now this governor. After he became vice-president, what happened to Dhankhar, we all know,” she said.
Banerjee also issued a warning to the Centre, saying, “If you try to threaten us, we will ensure the fall of the BJP government.”
Banerjee brought more than 10 voters onto the dharna stage, saying that their names were deleted from the electoral rolls after the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state, even though they had valid documents. “What more do you want to do with West Bengal? People will give a befitting reply,” she said.
Speaking from the sit-in demonstration at Esplanade, Banerjee also called for a procession on Sunday to protest the increase in the price of cooking gas amid the escalating conflict in West Asia. She appealed to people to come to the protest with kitchen utensils.
“Yesterday, the price of cooking gas was increased by Rs 60. Three days before that, the price of commercial gas was increased by Rs 49. The price of a large cylinder is now Rs 2,100, and that of a small cylinder is almost Rs 1,000. They said that you have to book LPG cylinders 21 days in advance. Will someone whose house runs out of gas go without cooking for 21 days? Don’t you think about these things first? What will people eat?” asked Banerjee.
“There will be a procession tomorrow. If there is no gas, then no cooking. If there is no gas, no food. That is why there will be a protest procession on International Women’s Day with pots, pans, bowls and other kitchen utensils. To protect humanity, tomorrow, mothers and sisters, take to the streets and protest. Wear a black saree if necessary. And keep these items in your hands. If possible, someone will bring a gas oven. If possible, bring raw grains in a basket,” she said.
Meanwhile, Banerjee announced that financial assistance under her government’s newly launched ‘Banglar Yuva Sathi’ scheme will be provided to its beneficiaries from Saturday. As per the scheme, those who have passed out from the state’s secondary schools and have yet to find a job will receive an allowance of Rs 1,500 per month. It was initially said that the money would be provided from April 1.
“What was supposed to come in from April 1 will come in from today. You will get the Yuva Sathi money from today. Grants under Lakshmir Bhandar have been provided since February. We do what we say,” said Banerjee.