Kolkata, April 7 (NationPress) Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday criticized the BJP administration for its failure to fulfill commitments made to the Rajbanshi community in north Bengal, asserting that their dignity has been compromised. Banerjee raised these concerns while campaigning in Natabari of Cooch Behar district. He further alleged that the BJP-led central government has been procrastinating on the official recognition of the Rajbanshi language under the Constitution's Eighth Schedule.

"Earlier this year, in February, the state government forwarded a letter to the Central Home Secretary advocating for the inclusion of the Rajbanshi language in the Eighth Schedule. Nevertheless, the Centre has failed to respond adequately to that correspondence. The government is not genuinely committed to addressing the needs and aspirations of the Rajbanshi community," Banerjee remarked during his public address.

He also launched a fierce critique against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asserting that the "BJP exploits religion merely as a facade for political maneuvering, lacking true faith."

Referring to the Prime Minister’s recent gathering at Ras Mela Maidan in Cooch Behar, he noted, "While the Prime Minister convened a meeting at Ras Mela Maidan, he notably did not visit the Madan Mohan Thakur temple, which is merely a short walk from the venue. Those who profess to be adherents of Hinduism are not even inclined to visit temples and perform puja during political engagements. The BJP's inability to engage in genuine political discourse leads them to resort to using religion as a cover for their actions."

Abhishek Banerjee also enumerated several 'unfulfilled' promises made by the Centre, questioning the commitments made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah between 2019 and 2024.

According to him, "The Narayana Battalion in Cooch Behar, a Para Military Training Centre named after Chila Roy, or a memorial for Thakur Panchanan Barma—none of these have materialized. Additionally, promises regarding tourism development around temples such as Madan Mohan, Jalpesh, and Kamleshwari or the establishment of AIIMS in north Bengal remain unfulfilled."

In contrast, he claimed credit for the achievements of the state government, stating, "I assert that all development seen in West Bengal has been the result of the efforts of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee."

He called upon the residents of north Bengal to respond to this disregard from the Centre during the upcoming elections.