Trinamool Congress Threatens Sit-In Demonstration in New Delhi over MGNREGA Funds

DNN, 29 April 2023: The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal has threatened to begin a sit-in demonstration in New Delhi if the central government fails to provide funds for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) to the state at the earliest. TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee stated that he would quit politics if any irregularities were found in the list of MGNREGA beneficiaries submitted to the Center.

Banerjee said that over 20 lakh people are sitting at home due to the non-implementation of MGNREGA because the Center is not providing funds. Last month, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee staged a two-day dharna in Kolkata over MGNREGA dues.

TMC accuses the BJP of hindering the development of the region.

Banerjee accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of demanding a separate state of North Bengal to serve its own narrow interests and not for the development of the region. He stated that only the TMC can bring development to the region and that neither the separate statehood agenda nor any development initiatives would be undertaken by the BJP. Banerjee, MP for Diamond Harbour, said that the chief minister had ensured the development of all areas without any discrimination. He criticised the BJP for the north Bengal shutdown over the Kaliaganj deaths on Friday, stating that it was borrowing “such culture” from the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

Banerjee, who was in Mainaguri in Jalpaiguri as part of his Trinamooley Nabajowar (new wave in Trinamool) program, offered puja at a local temple and had lunch at the house of a villager in Domohani. Before the rally, Banerjee met with the Union minister concerned in Delhi along with party MPs over the issue, but the minister did not meet him.

The BJP claimed that the people of the state were not believing in the statements of TMC leaders such as Banerjee after the massive corruption that was unearthed in the state in the last year. BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya accused the TMC leaders of corruption, stating that people were not getting the benefits of central schemes. He also stated that the poor would not get any benefits with the TMC in the saddle in the state.

In conclusion, the TMC’s threat to launch an indefinite sit-in in Delhi over the MGNREGA issue highlights the ongoing conflict between the TMC and the central government. It remains to be seen how the central government will respond to the TMC’s demands.

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