TMC blasts Modi on tea

TT, 08 Jan 2019, Alipurduar: Trinamul MP Abhishek Banerjee on Monday came down heavily on the BJP and the Centre and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and leaders of his party of making empty promises to people in the Dooars with political intentions.

Abhishek, who spoke at a public meeting held the Town Club Ground in Falakata, said: "Back in 2016, ahead of the Assembly elections, Narendra Modi was in Birpara with other leaders of his party. At the meeting, he had promised help to the tea workers and had said his government would take initiatives for their development and will facilitate reopening of the closed tea gardens. Nothing was done on the part of the Centre in the past four years." The Trinamul leader also explained how the Bengal government had taken the task of reopening closed gardens and extended social welfare schemes to the tea population in north Bengal.

"BJP leaders had duped the people here and could win an Assembly seat (BirparaMadarihat) with empty promises. But people have realised it and this time, they will never support the party that has used them for political interests," said Abhishek, who is also the president of Trinamul's youth wing.

Trinamul leaders of both Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts were present at the meeting, along with 20,000-odd supporters. The meeting, the leaders said, was organised to encourage party supporters to visit Calcutta and attend the public meeting planned by the party at the Brigade Parade Ground on January 19.

Abhishek, sources said, will attend another meeting in Cooch Behar on Tuesday.

Observers said his reference to the tea gardens came a few days after a delegation of district BJP leaders had met Union commerce minister Suresh Prabhu and sought his intervention for the welfare of tea garden workers and their families.