SHILLONG, Dec 13: Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday highlighted the development in her state and assured similar progress in Meghalaya if the party is voted to power.
“If you vote for TMC we will set up industries, universities, hospitals and all-around development, especially for women,” she said during a party workers’ convention at the U Soso Than auditorium.
Banerjee fiercely countered the ‘Bengali party’ tag on the TMC by citing the contributions of Bengal’s sons – Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore and author Bankim Chandra Chatterjee – to India through the national song and the national anthem. “I am a Bengali and I am proud, but I work for India and contribute to its growth,” she said.
She assured that the TMC wants the sons of the soil to run Meghalaya and not outsiders.
“Our intention is not to capture the power and control Meghalaya from Kolkata. The sons of the soil will take care; we can only advise and give assistance,” Banerjee said.
She made a slew of promises from resolving the interstate border issue with Assam, coming out with labour welfare funds, setting up industries, and increasing employment opportunities to providing better healthcare, educational institutions and women empowerment.
“The TMC is of the people, for the people and by the people. If someone criticises, ask them why BJP neglected Meghalaya and the Northeast and why are they ruling from Guwahati or Delhi,” Banerjee said.
She slammed the Conrad K. Sangma government for not doing much in ensuring justice for the victims of the Mukroh firing incident on November 22.
“There was no response after five people were killed. Did the CM offer any service (to the next of kin of the victims)? In my state, we give money and government jobs,” she said.
She met the families of the five victims from Mukroh and offered a financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each.
The West Bengal CM assured to raise the issue of the Meghalaya-Assam interstate boundary and resolve it if voted to power.
Recalling that she had visited the state earlier when the late PA Sangma contested the MP elections, she said she knows the Khasi, Garo and Jaintia tribes.
“Delhi is too far but Kolkata is near. We are a friendly party and Meghalaya is a friendly state,” she said.
Attacking the BJP, she said, “Why did the BJP cancel the holiday on December 25, which is Christmas? It was done intentionally but I gave a two-day Christmas holiday in my state.”
TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said the TMC is the only party that stands up against the BJP.
Talking about the Mukroh incident, he ridiculed Chief Minister Sangma for not being able to do anything by “depositing his spine to PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah” who, if otherwise, will send the Enforcement Directorate and CBI after him.
He said those who shot innocent villagers are roaming free and the CM (Sangma) cannot even stand for the people of his state to demand justice.
Stating that they met the people of Mukroh, he said no political party stood by them even though there was some help from the government.
“Meghalaya is at the cusp of change. When the elections are declared you will see a fresh progressive democratic government,” he added.
