'How much money have they taken from Bengal?': TMC's Abhishek Banerjee hits back at Union Minister Anurag Thakur

"Anurag Thakur says that they gave Rs 2 lakh crore. But the question is, how much amount have they taken from West Bengal? They have been in power for nine years, and they have taken at least Rs 5-7 lakh crore from West Bengal. You have taken money from the state and are keeping it deprived of rights," Banerjee said.

Speaking about the protest at Raj Ghat, the TMC leader said, "The way they misbehaved and manhandled it clearly shows that BJP is scared...If the people feel that those who we elected to power have stopped the funds and there is a need to change the government, no one can stop that from happening..."

"The central government has withheld the money of various job card holders for over two years now...You are taking money from West Bengal but not giving it to the state. The money belongs to the people of the state...You have deliberately stopped the release of money because the people of Bengal did not elect you and rejected you...This is not a party's protest but the people's protest..." he added.

Banerjee also alleged that the police manhandled women protesters at Raj Ghat.

"The police lathi-charged women protesters. They tried to turn the protest violent. They were continuously asking us to get up when we were sitting there peacefully. They were treating us as a commodity. We did not engage in any political sloganeering, nor did we speak. Only MPs and MLAs were present there. At first, some of our supporters reached the place, but then on requesting they went away," Banerjee said.

Speaking on the alleged CBI enquiry called by Union Minister Giriraj Singh, Banerjee said, "Today, all of a sudden Giriraj Singh said that he has called for a CBI enquiry. What is the result of the CBI enquiry in Bengal so far? In the last two years, 26 cases have been transferred to the CBI. If handing over the case to the CBI will ensure that ordinary people get their money then I welcome it. Those who invested in Sarada, did anyone get it back?"

Questioning the CBI enquiries going on in the state, Banerjee said, "What is the outcome of the Gyaneshwari investigation? What is the outcome of Nobel theft? Of Rose Valley? Has anyone who was aspiring to be a teacher got the job?"

"If CBI starts an enquiry, the person to be arrested should be Giriraj Singh for stopping MGNREGA funds to the state government," he added.

Earlier in the day, speaking on Trinamool Congress (TMC) protests, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said, "There was no action on corruption in West Bengal but they are sent here for whitewashing... I want to speak in detail about this. A central team did an inquiry in 2019... The observation by the team revealed that huge corruption was divided into small parts... Then the existing works were presented as new works... They also did a scam in a scheme named after Mahatma Gandhiji..."

The TMC is holding a mega protest in the national capital against the central government stopping the disbursement of MGNREGA funds to the state government. (ANI)