Cut Money Row: Nothing Wrong In Disciplining Party Workers, Says Mamata Banerjee

The cut money issue reverberated in the West Bengal Assembly for the second day running on Tuesday, with the Left Front and Congress lawmakers staging a noisy walk-out on the issue.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. PTI Photo

KOLKATA: The cut money issue reverberated in the West Bengal Assembly for the second day running on Tuesday, with the Left Front and Congress lawmakers staging a noisy walk-out on the issue. The Left Front and Congress lawmakers demanded the state government set up a commission to look into the cut-money issue. However, with their demand failing to move the government, they waved placards and walked out of the House shouting slogans against chief minister Mamata Banerjee. They reached the lobby, and displayed placards that said: CM means cut money. Making her stand clear, Banerjee asserted that there is nothing wrong if she tries to discipline her party workers, but no one has the right to malign them without evidence. "Whatever I had to say, I had said it at an internal meeting of party councillors. What is wrong if I try to discipline my party workers? What is wrong if I ask my party workers to ensure that there is no misuse of government schemes?," Banerjee said in the state assembly. "Just because we are a party of the masses doesn't mean anyone has the right to malign us without any evidence," the chief minister said. Criticising the BJP, Banerjee said the saffron party is trying to bring in an alien culture in Bengal. "The people of the state are witnessing in Bhatpara what happens if you vote for the BJP. I feel all of us [TMC, Congress and CPI(M)] should come together in the fight against the BJP. It doesn't mean we have to join hands politically, but on common issues at the national level, we can come together," she said. A TMC citadel for long, Bhatpara has been witnessing frequent post-poll violence between the rival Bharatiya Janata Party and the Trinamool Congress. The fight has intensified ever since Arjun Singh crossed over from the TMC to the BJP and won the Barrackpore Lok Sabha seat, under which Bhatpara falls. "Those who will spread fake news and try to instigate riots, the administration will take stern action against them," the CM added. (With inputs from agencies)