TMC-BJP in war of words over defections

The TMC and theBJP hit out at each other on Wednesday in poll-bound WestBengal over defections with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjeesaying it was ironical that the Centre did not have funds tobear the travel expenses of migrant workers but corruptleaders were flown to Delhi in a chartered plane.

Newly inducted BJP leader Rajib Banerjee, who quit TMCand was among those who took take the chartered flight,slammed her for levelling allegations of corruption againsthim.

He said if indeed he was corrupt then why did theTMC hold talks with him to retain him in the party after heresigned from the state cabinet last month.

Mamata Banerjee, who is also the TMC supremo, trainingher guns at deserters of the party said the turncoats would bedefeated in the coming assembly polls.

Addressing a meeting of TMC workers at Alipurduar innorth Bengal, she asked ''fence sitters'' in the party to quitas early as possible.

Without naming Rajib Banerjee who was the forestminister, she alleged that irregularities have been detectedin the recruitment of forest department personnel during histenure.

''A person who was responsible for the recruitment of'Bana Sahayaks' in the forest department indulged in corruptmethods. We will investigate it. Everything will be probed,''she said at a party meeting here.

Keeping up her attack, she said ''The person afterindulging in corruption, has now joined BJP. He is nowlecturing others,'' she said.

The fiesty TMC chief said, ''Those who want to leaveTMC can go ahead, the doors (of the party) are open. But ifyou are in the party, you have to work as a disciplinedsoldier.

''Let me tell you that the ones who have switchedpolitical allegiance will be defeated in the assemblypolls, their shops will be closed after the polls,'' she said.

Banerjee, who is among the vocal critics of BJP, saidthe saffron party can ''buy'' some corrupt leaders of the TMCbut can never buy a dedicated member or cadre of her party.

''There are certain leaders who are lobhi (greedy) and''bhogi'' (one who enjoys facilities) They might quit the party,but the dedicated ones will stay,'' she said.

Claiming that MLA tickets are up for sale in the BJP,Banerjee said that her party, on the other hand, ''rewards hardwork and dedication''.

She iterated that the BJP had turned itself intowashing machine, where ''tainted leaders come out clean afterjoining the saffron camp''.

Taking a dig at the BJP for sending a chartered planeto fly TMC ''turncoats'' to Delhi for induction in the saffroncamp, Banerjee said Prime Minister Narendra Modi owes anexplanation to the nation as to why the Centre could not bearthe travel expenditure of migrant workers who were forced toreturn to their native homess during the lockdown but hadenough to transport corrupt leaders by air.

''During the COVID crisis, we paid for thetransportation of migrant workers. The BJP government did notpay any money. The prime minister could not spend money onmigrant labourers, who walked hundreds of kilometres to reachtheir homes. More than 100 such workers died on the roads.

''But the same union government has the money to flycorrupt leaders to New Delhi in chartered planes. The primeminister should give a reply... This shows the BJPgovernment's true colours,'' she said.

Addressing a rally in Hooghly, Rajib Banerjee saidefforts had been made by the TMC leaders to coerce him torecruit only TMC workers as 'Bana Sahayaks' and no action wastaken though he had informed the chief minister.

''''I believe in maintaining decorum in politics. Justbecause I have joined another party doesn't mean I will startabusing leaders of my former party...I want to remind her thatto ensure transparent recruitment I had handed it over to aboard,'' he said.

''In October last year I had informed the chiefminister how an influential TMC leader from Birbhum wanted allthe TMC cadres to be recruited as Bana Sahayaks. But the chiefminister herself told me to see that in every district TMCcadres who have nothing should be recruited.

''I want to say that several TMC leaders, includingleaders in Kalighat (area where Mamata Banerjee lives inKolkata) had recommended their candidates,'' he said.

Rajib Banerjee asked the chief minister to cancel theentire panel of Bana Sahayaks instead of raising ''baseless''allegations. ''I want the chief minister to order aninvestigation into all the contractual appointments during theTMC regime,'' he said.

Reacting to the chief minister's allegations againstRajib Banerjee, the BJP accused her of pursuing the ''politicsof vendetta'' to ''settle scores'' with those who had defected.

''When Rajib Banerjee was with the TMC and part of thestate cabinet, he happened to be a person of immaculatecharacter. Now that he has joined the BJP, he has becomecorrupt.

''If indeed he was involved in corruption, then why noaction was taken against him so far? The people of the stateunderstand such tricks very well,'' state BJP vice-presidentJaiprakash Majumdar said.