Darjeeling: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday accused the BJP government at the Centre of trying to deflect public ire over issues such as fuel price hike by falsely claiming that the law and order in West Bengal has collapsed. Banerjee, while addressing a public rally in Darjeeling town, called on hill-based political parties to sink their differences and work for the development of the region in North Bengal. "People are suffering due to sharp hike in fuel prices and the BJP is harping on stray incidents to divert attention from core issues and also give West Bengal a bad name," she said in reference to the political firestorm over the killing of nine people in Bogtui village in Birbhum's Rampurhat.
"The BJP is making false claims about collapse in law and order in West Bengal to disrupt peace. The saffron party doesn't love our state or its people. They are not concerned about the state's development. They come before elections, make tall promises and never fulfill those," the TMC supremo said. She claimed that the BJP government at the Centre increased fuel prices after the party's win in recent assembly elections in four states. "This speaks volumes about their concern for the people," Banerjee said.
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The chief minister asked the hill-based political outfits not to squabble among themselves. "Kanchenjunga is smiling, tourism is back on track and there is no violence. Let's take forward our journey from here," she said. Banerjee said that her party has met all electoral promises from giving student credit cards to issuing 'pattas' (documents) to landless people. She said that her government has given financial help to tea workers in the region.
She said that 400 of the 17,000 Indian students who returned from war-torn Ukraine are from West Bengal and the Centre must ensure that the returnees are able to complete their courses. "The West Bengal government will ensure the students from our state avail such facilities," she said. The chief minister is on a five-day visit to North Bengal since Sunday.
PTI
