TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee slams govt over pending Central funds for West Bengal

New Delhi: Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee Tuesday accused Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of working for the rich as he slammed the government over pending Central funds for West Bengal. The BJP hit back, demanding an apology from the TMC MP for his statement. Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Banerjee claimed that Central funds for West Bengal under schemes such as MGNREGA and PMAYG were pending for the past three years. "Shivraj Chouhan is a broker for the rich... He does not work for the poor and that is why he was removed from the post of Madhya Pradesh chief minister," the MP from West Bengal's Serampore alleged. "They have not given us funds for the last three years. They are saying there are some discrepancies... There are 25 lakh fake job cards (under MGNREGA)... We have told them to carry forward criminal proceedings against the fake cards, but they can't deprive 10 crore people of West Bengal of the funds," he told reporters.

Banerjee also alleged that the funds were not released to West Bengal as the BJP has failed to win the state in the 2021 assembly polls. "Shivraj Chauhan and PM Narendra Modi are against Bengal. They want to form a government there and are failing. They will never come to power there. BJP leaders say don't give funds to Bengal," he claimed. Minister of State for Agriculture Bhagirath Chaudhary, however, dismissed the allegations and said Banerjee should apologise for using unparliamentary language. "This is not a good thing, such language by a senior MP does not suit him. PM Modi is working on the principle of 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas'. There is no discrimination against any state and everyone is getting their share," Chaudhary told media reporters. "Unfortunately, the West Bengal government changes the names of central schemes and indulges in corruption. Using such language against a minister is not right. Banerjee should apologise," he said.