Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday alleged there is an attempt to divide West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Jharkhand.
Condemning this alleged attempt, Banerjee said her party Trinamool Congress does not support this divisive attitude and so she would like to voice her protest in the NITI Aayog meeting in New Delhi.
The meeting is scheduled to be held on July 27.
Leaving before the national capital, TMC supremo alleged the recent Central budget (2024-25) was discriminatory and totally politically biased depriving the opposition states.
“I will protest against the political discrimination being inflicted
upon Bengal at the NITI Aayog meeting. The budget has shown clear
discrimination against Bengal and other opposition states, and we
cannot accept this,” Banerjee, accompanied by her nephew and
TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, told reporters.
She also alleged that Bengal was facing economic blockade,
geographical blockade, political blockade and other discrimination and
now there was attempts to divide
Bengal, Bihar, Assam and Jharkhand.
The CM blamed the central minister and BJP, accusing them of attempting
to divide West Bengal while imposing economic and geographical
blockades on the state.
“The attitude of ministers and BJP aims to divide Bengal and this is
going on when the Parliament is sitting,” the TMC chairperson said.
“Dividing Bengal means dividing our country, India. We want to voice
our concerns about this issue, and I will be present to do so. If they
allow me to speak, I will, otherwise, I will protest and leave the
meeting,” she added.
She said Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren is also going to attend
NITI Aayog meeting and “We will together speak on behalf of other
states.”
Union minister and BJP’s West Bengal unit president Sukanta Majumdar
has presented a proposal to Prime minister Narendra Modi
for inclusion of north Bengal districts with the North Eastern Council
(NEC) , which could enable the area for rapid development as well as
monetary assistance from the Centre.
” I have submitted a presentation personally to Prime minister
Narendra Modi for incorporation of north Bengal with Northeast as the
areas have very similarities and it is upto the PM to decide upon the
matter, ” Majumdar told reporters on Wednesday.
He said if the proposal was admitted, which is subject to the central
matter, then the areas of north Bengal could develop rapidly and may
have monetary assistance like the North Eastern Council (NEC) is now getting.
Currently eight states, including Sikkim, are part of NEC.
