TMC and Congress MPs held a protest in Parliament on Tuesday against the Union government for allegedly stoppping MNREGA funds to West Bengal. Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and lawmaker Priyanka Gandhi also joined the protest for a short period of time.
Speaking to reporters on the issue, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee said, “We have been saying that Central funds due to West Bengal should be given to the state… Shivraj Chouhan (Union Agriculture Minister) is against the Bengali people. They have been trying to form a government there (West Bengal), but they will not be able to do so… They are not doing anything for the poor. Shivraj Chouhan is a ‘Dalal’ for the rich people. He never worked for the poor in Madhya Pradesh.”
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Opposition MPs, including Congress’ Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and LoP Gandhi, joined their party colleagues on the issue on Parliament premises. Party’s MP Shashi Tharoor and K C Venugopal were among others who joined the demonstration.
However, amid opposition MPs’ protests in the Lok Sabha against the alleged delay in the payment to some states for the rural employment scheme, the government asserted that it has never discriminated against any state in the release of MGNREGA funds.
The Lok Sabha witnessed protests over the issue during Question Hour with DMK and Trinamool Congress MPs entering the Well of the House. Speaker Om Birla urged them to return to their seats, but they did not budge. Following this, the House was adjourned till 12 Noon.
Speaker Birla urged the Opposition not to “politicise” the questions raised during the Question Hour.
A few days ago, TMC MP Banerjee said the benefits of MGNREGA were not being passed to West Bengal. “The constant stand taken by the ministry is that 25 lakh cases of fraud have been detected. We are saying you take immediate steps, investigate, initiate criminal proceedings, and arrest the guilty, but you cannot stop the funds for 10 crore people because of 25 lakh cases. If there is corruption why are you not acting on it”.
