Never felt the need to name a stadium after myself: CM Mamata Banerjee

KOLKATA: CM Mamata Banerjee on Monday said she did not feel the need to name a stadium after her. She didn’t want to name a government scheme after ‘Ma Mati Manush’ or her parents either, she said. The CM said, “I do not need it as I help people as much as possible.”

Attacking the opposition over corruption allegations, CM Banerjee said she was entitled to a salary of Rs 1.5 lakh as CM and a pension of Rs 1.25 lakh for being a seven-time MP. Had she taken this, she would have easily earned around Rs 50 crore, she said. “No one can say that I take any money. Yet, people are calling us thieves,” the CM said while attending a Bijaya Sammilani organized by Bhowanipore TMC workers.

Stating she had always been “fighting for justice and speaking unpalatable tr-uths”, Banerjee said the real thieves tried to throw flour at cops. “We are carrying the legacy of 34 years of Left Front misrule. They did not buy rice directly from farmers, we started it. We digitised ration cards. None can say that people died of hunger during the pandemic. Ration was provided to all. During the Left’s stay at office, tribals in Belpahari had no rice and were forced to consume ant eggs and roots,” the CM said.

Banerjee reiterated that her government had cancelled 1 crore bogus ration cards in the past decade. “These ration cards were used during the time of the Left Front to lift foodgrain and cast false votes,” she said. The CM added, “For the tribals of Jangalmahal and people of Singur, there is extra rice allocation now. Some people, however, do not take ration. Ration card is a proof of identity for them so that they are not called non-citizens and pushed out of the country.”

She criticised BJP and urged people to be united and protest against injustice. “Poor people who toiled hard for MGNREGS work didn’t get paid despite constitutional provisions. Payment to the tune of Rs 7,000 crore is pending since the Centre blocked the funds. Bengal’s housing project — Banglar Bari — is stalled along with the rural road project since funds were not released,” Banerjee said, adding, “The Centre takes money through GST but does not clear our dues.”

The CM said those who slander her would be the first to offer flowers when she died. “But do not allow them,” she said and prayed to God to forgive them.

Calling the Red Road carnival the best in the world, Banerjee congratulated state administration and police for hosting it and Durga Puja successfully. Over 40,000 foreign tourists came down to witness Durga Puja this time, she said.