Woman on BJP poster hailing PM's housing scheme not a beneficiary

Sulagna Sengupta| MP | 22 March 21 | KOLKATA: A BJP poster showcasing a woman as the beneficiary of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana has raked up controversy. 

The woman, who is a resident of Bowbazar Malanga Lane area here, claimed that she didn't receive any house under the Centre-sponsored scheme, as suggested by the poster. 

In fact, the woman—Lakshmi Devi—was stunned to find her photograph placed beside the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the poster. 

She was completely taken aback when she spotted the poster pasted on a wall near her 'kutcha house.' The poster—endorsing BJP's campaign of 'Atmanirbhar Bangla'— also bears the image of a 'pucca house', claiming the same to be of Lakshmi's. 

"It is a complete myth that I received a house under the Central scheme. I did not receive any house from BJP leaders. I stay with my son. After my husband died, I used to work in various households as a maid to meet our needs. No political party ever approached us," she said. 

In an interview to a news agency, the woman believed to have stated that she shares a one-room rented accommodation with six others and pays Rs 500 per month as rent. 

The woman, reportedly, sleeps on the footpath at night due to space crunch. 

Meanwhile, the woman claimed that her photograph on the poster was clicked when she went to Ganga Sagar Mela. 

"Several photographers were taking my picture. Though I asked them why they were clicking my picture, they didn't utter a word," she said. The woman claimed that the poster has become a major cause of embarrassment for her. 

"We (she and her son) have become laughing stocks. People are asking various questions," she said. Devi's son, who is a rickshaw puller, said: "We urge BJP leaders not to play with our sentiments and emotions. We are poor. But, they cannot use our sentiment and make fake posters." 

Meanwhile veteran Trinamool Congress leader, Saugata Roy, said: "BJP knows very well how to make fake news go viral and in this way they try to deceive people. I have nothing to say." 

BJP leader, Shamik Bhattacharya, said: "We are unaware of the incident and I will speak with the concerned authorities before commenting anything on this issue." 

http://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/woman-on-bjp-poster-hailing-pms-housing-scheme-not-a-beneficiary-435147