PM should hold ''petrol ki baat'' instead of ''Mann ki baat'': Mamata

Kolkata: Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “making a mess of the country”s economy” and urged him to hold ”petrol and vaccine ki baat” instead of ”Mann ki baat”.

Referring to the proposed Union Cabinet reshuffle, the chief minister, during a press meet here, said “Babul Supriyo has now lost favour… It is their internal matter but they (BJP government) seem to be losing their minds even before the arrival of their doomsday” in 2024.

Noting that none of the letters she wrote to the PM evoked any response, Banerjee said despite appeals for recall of Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, nothing was done about it.

“The entire economy is in doldrums. Fuel prices are increasing everyday and the Union government is sitting idle. Our prime minister is only busy with his Mann ki Baat. He should instead hold petrol ki baat, diesel ki baat and vaccine ki baat,” she insisted.

Pointing out that the Centre has earned Rs 3.71 lakh crore from cess levied on petrol and diesel, she said, “Don”t you think Narendra Modi is cutting holes in the pockets of common people and filling his own coffers?”

The Centre has been constantly increasing the “cess component of central tax revenues, denying the states its legitimate share”, she contended.

Noting that petrol and diesel prices were hiked eight times since early May, of which six hikes were effected in June alone, Banerjee said the jump has adversely affected common people and directly impacted inflation in the country.

Accusing the BJP government of sitting on PM CARES FUND, Banerjee said the Centre had allotted Rs 35,000 crore for COVID vaccines but failed to properly distribute the money among the states.

Claiming that the prime minister allocates more money to BJP-ruled states and less to those ruled by opposition parties, the TMC boss said Bengal has been deprived of legitimate central funds.

“The state is yet to receive an outstanding amount of Rs 33,314 crore from the Union government as part of centrally sponsored scheme benefits. In all, we have been deprived of around Rs 60,000 crore,” she said.

“When the second wave hit, he allocated funds in instalments, why not at once? We asked for Rs 3 crore, which we did not get… Later, Rs 2 crore was disbursed, that, too, in a span of six months. He gave more money to BJP- administered states than opposition-ruled states,” she said.

Asked about BJP MP John Barla”s induction in the Union ministry, weeks after he demanded a separate union territory for North Bengal, Banerjee said it reflects the “divisive mindset” of the saffron party.

“I won”t comment on ministry reshuffle. Will reshuffle end the woes of the people?” she added.