Rahul Gandhi Accuses Trinamool Congress of Aiding BJP's Growth in West Bengal Amid Corruption Allegations
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Kolkata, April 14 (NationPress) On Tuesday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi leveled accusations against the Trinamool Congress for facilitating the BJP's rise in West Bengal, while also condemning its governance amid allegations of corruption and violence.
During his inaugural rally for the Assembly elections in Raiganj, Gandhi, who serves as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, criticized the Trinamool for operating syndicates and enforcing a 'goon tax' system.
"Who is enabling the BJP's presence in Bengal? Who is assisting this party? It is the Trinamool Congress. The BJP has not provided any funds to Bengal. They have withheld two lakh crore rupees from Bengal, slashed budgets for MGNREGA, and failed to approve new projects in the Union budget. The BJP has assaulted democracy through SIR. Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress is preoccupied with its own affairs; it is not serving the interests of Bengal," he stated.
Addressing the corruption allegations against the Trinamool Congress government, Gandhi remarked: "If Prime Minister Modi is deemed corrupt, then the Trinamool Congress is equally in the corruption race. Billions of rupees went unreturned following the Saradha and Rose Valley chit fund scams. Incidents of coal smuggling, illegal mining, and extortion through goon taxes from transporters and collectors are widespread here. The people of Bengal are not beneficiaries; it is solely the Trinamool's syndicate that profits, making money continuously."
The Congress leader further criticized the Trinamool for making false promises and instilling fear among the populace.
"In 2021, the Trinamool Congress vowed to create 500,000 jobs each year. How many have actually been created? How many factories have closed down? Recently, around 8.4 million young individuals applied for unemployment benefits. CM Mamata Banerjee claims she will generate 500,000 jobs, yet 8.4 million youths are seeking unemployment support. The people of Bengal are being deceived," he lamented.
Gandhi asserted that the Trinamool government has utterly dismantled industries in Bengal.
Claiming there is a lack of accountability in Bengal, he said: "If we discuss violence and the safety of women, we must mention the RG Kar incident. There is no accountability in Bengal. The Trinamool has granted its goons complete freedom. They engage in violence and assault Congress leaders and supporters. Our party leader, Tapan Kundu, was murdered. Both the Trinamool and the BJP resort to violence. Congress stands against violence and does not endorse hate. We do not pit one religion against another or one language against another; our aim is to bring people together."
Gandhi was scheduled to conduct two additional rallies in Bengal later that day.