BJP sought double-engine govt, people gave us double ton: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

KOLKATA: CM Mamata Banerjee, in her first address to the new assembly, accused the Centre of denying oxygen and vaccines to Bengal while spending money “like water from a hosepipe” on fighting elections and charged the Election Commission with helping the BJP “rig” the polls.
“The BJP promised a double-engine government, people responded with a (Trinamool) double century,” Banerjee said on Saturday. “The EC hatched a conspiracy and, in some places, helped them rig the polls. I have seen the EC from (the days of former chief election commissioner) TN Seshan but have not seen such a partisan EC. They kept transferring people scribbling on a piece of paper. The EC needs reforms,” Banerjee said.
The BJP spent money, “like water sprayed from a hosepipe on hotels, vehicles, planes, helicopters”, which could have been put to better use to vaccinate people, Banerjee said. “It requires Rs 30,000 crore to vaccinate everyone in India. This is nothing for the Centre. They have funds for a new parliament, a PM residence, planes and statues. But they cannot supply us with enough vaccines,” she said, adding: “There could have been universal vaccination with that money. I wrote to PM Narendra Modi in February, saying we would buy vaccines. They have not even responded to that letter.” Banerjee also accused the Centre of having “a step-motherly attitude” to Bengal and “diverting” oxygen from Bengal.
“Indians are fed up with the series of blunders, starting from demonetisation. It seemed the centre had no job for the last six months, everyone camped here. What did they not do? They used agencies to harass us. They tried to intimidate us. But I just told myself how they could intimidate us, who would they intimidate if I did not get scared. Tagore had used these words to describe the fearless Gandhiji,” Banerjee said.
Terming the poll results “unbelievable” and “a miracle”, the CM said: “I am indebted to all mothers and sisters. I bow to you. I am indebted to the young generation. People have queued up braving the pandemic. People of Bengal proved they have a straight spine.”
The CM then went around the assembly to greet all the new Trinamool legislators, particularly women and first-time MLAs, and asked them to attend sessions regularly. “Please learn rules and practices from seniors. Attend sessions every day. This is the platform to speak for the people you represent,” she told them.