The Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) has once again become a political battleground, with the opposition CPM and BJP ridiculing the state government over its claims of attracting investment.

Senior CPM leader and central committee member Sujan Chakraborty termed the event a “magic show” with zero results. Chakraborty criticised chief minister Mamata Banerjee for inviting Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, who, according to him, used the platform to promote his own state rather than Bengal.

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“Hemant Soren came, took advantage, and left, inviting industrialists to his state. It’s laughable. Every year, the TMC government organises BGBS, but the net result is zero,” he remarked. He further pointed out that while Mamata Banerjee travels to Maharashtra to bring investors to Bengal, she has failed in her mission. “Soren indirectly hinted that Jharkhand has a better administration than Bengal and invited businesses there,” Chakraborty alleged.

The CPM leader also criticised Mamata Banerjee for ignoring pressing issues like the pending wages of rural workers under the 100-day job scheme. “She is not concerned about villagers, who are not getting their wages. Instead, she is obsessed with what industrialist Mukesh Ambani has said about Bengal,” he said. Mocking Ambani’s statement that “Bengal means business,” Chakraborty questioned why the billionaire himself was not investing in the state. “The chief minister is only sponsoring chop and egg roll businesses here,” he quipped.

Senior BJP leader and MP Soumitra Khan said that he would soon demand a report from the central government on Bengal’s actual industrial scenario. “BGBS stands for the bombs, guns, and garood (explosives) industry. If Bengal had truly witnessed an industrial boom, why are poor and middle-class youth leaving the state in search of jobs?” he questioned. Khan accused the TMC government of fostering a climate of fear among investors due to rampant factionalism and extortion. “Industrialists are afraid to come here. Mamata Banerjee’s government has destroyed Bengal’s industrial prospects, just like it did with Tata Motors’ Nano car project,” he said. Taking a dig at the state’s business environment, Khan added, “The only industries flourishing here are bomb-making units and street food stalls selling chops and egg rolls.”