Kolkata, Sep 8 (IANS): At a time when the West Bengal government is facing criticisms for announcing a donation of Rs 60,000 to each of the 45,000 registered Durga puja committees in addition to 60 per cent subsidy on electricity bills, Trinamool Congress national general secretary and party MP, Abhishek Banerjee has come forward to defend that dole decision.
"The donation of little of Rs 250 crore is nothing much and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has done the right thing by offering the donation. If BJP can build a statute at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore in Gujarat and spending Rs 8,000 crore in purchasing an airplane, then the Chief Minister has done the right thing by offering a subsidy of just Rs 250 crore," Abhishek Banerjee said while addressing a gathering of party workers at Kolkata's Netaji Indoor Stadium on Thursday afternoon.
Launching a scathing attack against BJP over the recent activities of the central agencies like Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) in West Bengal, he said that the more these central agencies are unleashed the more Trinamool Congress will be strong.
Holding Union Home Minister Amit Shah responsible for unleashing these central agencies, Abhishek Banerjee said that he is the "worst element" in the current Union cabinet.
"He the biggest Pappu of the country. On one hand, he is trying to teach us the lesson of patriotism and on the other hand his son Jai Shah is refusing to receive the Tricolour," he said.
According to him, what BJP knows is to just change names of places.
"Had they come to power in West Bengal, the name of 'Midnapore' would have been changed to 'Modinipur', and 'Darjeeing' would have changed to 'Modijiling'. But the people of West Bengal gave a fitting reply to BJP in the 2021 Assembly elections. I am sure that BJP will get a similar fitting reply in the panchayat election next year and finally in the Lok Sabha polls in 2024," Abhishek Banerjee said.
Reacting to his statement, state BJP spokesman in West Bengal, Samik Bhattacharya said that there is no need to give importance to what he says.
"He is saying all these things out of desperation and fear," he said.