BJP Meghalaya today hit out at the TMC over its promise to dole out Rs 1,000 every month to one woman in each household in the state through the ‘WE Card’ or the Meghalaya Financial Inclusion for Women Empowerment Scheme (MFI WE) stating that the scheme in West Bengal is already marked with favouritism in the selection of beneficiaries.
Questioning the real intent of the recently announced ‘We Card’, BJP spokesperson Mariahom Kharkrang the “failed scheme” is already on-going in West Bengal under the aegis of ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’. He said party workers get multiple disbursements while other beneficiaries are struck off without explanation.
He said the scheme is also particularly lucrative for the party as it allows for easy misappropriation and diversion of funds. Pointing out that while the scheme is being marketed as a tool to empower women, the fact is the condition of women in West Bengal is far from good as the State reports highest number of rapes and kidnapping of women in the country. “A rape occurs in WB almost every 8 hours under the governance model of the TMC,” he added.
Stating that the TMC has a track record on corruption, hooliganism, violence based politics, appeasement and on turning independent states into dole dependant societies the BJP spokesperson likened TMC in Meghalaya as the “East India Company” and that it has come into the state with a mindset to plunder its peace and harmony and to create in Meghalaya another mishap like in West Bengal.
“TMC is a regional party of West Bengal with no understanding of Meghalaya and its people. While TMC spoke about wanting sons of the soil to run the state, they would continue to run a proxy government from West Bengal,” he said, adding that it is already evident from the promises that they are making. “They wanted to replicate their failed West Bengal model of mis-governance in Meghalaya as well,” he said.
The BJP said that the TMC having fed on the development funds and opportunities of West Bengal, it now wants to deprive Meghalaya too.
Further, Kharkrang said that the politics in Meghalaya is non-violent and the political discourse is largely decent. “However, TMC is known for its politics of revenge and violence. The nation watched in horror as TMC goons descended upon their political rivals with vengeance after the last assembly elections in WB. Political murders are everyday news in West Bengal,” he stated.
He also referred to TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s statement that the TMC is the only party that stands against the BJP, Kharkrang said, “The BJP is the only party that stands with the people of Meghalaya.”
