Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday alleged that linking bills related to women’s reservation and the proposed delimitation commission was a “conspiracy” to delete voters’ names from electoral rolls and implement NRC.
Addressing an election rally at Mathabhanga in Cooch Behar district, Banerjee said attempts were being made to “divide India” by linking the two issues.
“Attempts are being made to divide India by linking women’s reservation and delimitation bills. Connecting these two bills is a conspiracy to delete voters’ names and implement NRC,” she said.
Union ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal and Amit Shah moved to introduce three bills in Lok Sabha on Thursday to amend the women’s quota
law and set up a delimitation commission, amid protests by the opposition, which termed the proposed legislations as anti-constitutional.
“The women’s reservation bill was passed long ago, and why was there a delay in its implementation?” Banerjee asked.
The TMC supremo asserted that 37 per cent of its elected MPs in the Lok Sabha are women.
Referring to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s alleged distribution of “cards” during her visit to poll-bound Bengal on Wednesday, Banerjee challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remove her (Sitharaman) from the post for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
The TMC on Thursday said it has filed a complaint with the West Bengal chief electoral officer, alleging, “BJP leaders have launched a scheme called ‘Matrishakti Bhorsa Card’, promising financial assistance to women, distributing forms across constituencies in the final days before polling”.
The ruling party termed the move as the “BJP’s electoral bribery” and demanded action against its leaders.
Addressing another rally in Alipurduar, Banerjee alleged, “People from UP, Rajasthan and Assam are staying at hotels and guest houses loaded with money to influence voters in Bengal.”
The TMC supremo also claimed that Uddhav Thackeray of the Shiv Sena (UBT), Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party were keen to visit Bengal and extend support to her.
“I am happy that Uddhav called me, Stalin texted me, Tejashwi also wants to come, and Akhilesh is in touch with me. All know about the torture of the BJP on the people of Bengal during this election time,” she claimed.
