Abhishek slams Shah over 'Sonar Bangla' pitch, funds issue; invokes Vidyasagar's legacy

Kolkata, Sep 26 (PTI) TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Friday launched a blistering attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his 'Sonar Bangla' poll pitch, accusing the BJP-led Centre of withholding Rs 2 lakh crore in dues to West Bengal and "disregarding" state's cultural icons.

Addressing the media at Vidyasagar College on the 205th birth anniversary of 19th-century social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Banerjee criticised Shah for not visiting the college, where the icon's statue was broken during a rally before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, or paying homage to the educationist during his trip to Kolkata.

"First, you should ask Amit Shah - when will you release our funds worth Rs 2 lakh crore that you owe to us? If he says AITC is lying, then ask him to choose any channel of his choice and I will come for a debate with facts and figures," Banerjee told reporters.

The comments came hours after Shah inaugurated the Durga Puja celebrations at Santosh Mitra Square in north Kolkata, where he said he prayed before Goddess Durga for the emergence of a government in Bengal after the next assembly polls that would transform the state into 'Sonar Bangla' (Golden Bengal).

"I have prayed before Maa Durga that after this election, a government should be formed in Bengal that can build Sonar Bangla. Bengal should once again become safe, prosperous, peaceful, abundant and fertile. And we should be able to build the Bengal of Kavi Guru Rabindranath Tagore that he had envisioned," Shah said at the event.

Countering him, Banerjee said the BJP has failed to replicate its "golden" promises in states where it has been in power.

"He talks about Sonar Bangla, but did they make Sonar Bihar? Were they able to make Sonar Gujarat, Maharashtra, or UP? They are using our funds in all these BJP-ruled states," Banerjee remarked.

The TMC leader used the occasion to remind Shah of the 2019 incident, when Vidyasagar's statue inside the college was vandalised during a BJP rally.

"The broken statue is still kept inside. Do pay your respects when you go in. People of Bengal gave a befitting response to those who tried to impose North Indian culture here and broke Vidyasagar's statue," he said.

Banerjee said he was "deeply saddened" that Shah did not take the time to visit Vidyasagar's house or the college despite being in the vicinity.

"This is why we call them Bangla-Birodhi. Our political battles will continue, but the way they insult Bengal's stalwarts cannot be forgotten," he said.

Taking a swipe at the BJP leadership, Banerjee alleged that they often misrepresent or remain ignorant of Bengal's cultural history.

"They don't know where Rabindranath Tagore was born. They mispronounce Panchanan Barma. They are unaware of the contributions of Vidyasagar, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, or Khudiram Bose. We do not need to learn about Bengal's culture from them," he asserted.

He also pointed out that the very festival once questioned by Shah has now earned global recognition.

"The person inaugurating a Durga Puja pandal today is the same person who said five years ago that there are no Durga Pujas in Bengal. Today, that very Durga Puja has been recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage site. No other festival or celebration from BJP-ruled states has received such recognition," Banerjee said.

Banerjee also invoked a Calcutta High Court order earlier in the day, which set aside the deportation of six persons, including a pregnant woman from Birbhum, calling it an example of how Bengali-speaking people were allegedly targeted under central directives.

"On Vidyasagar's birth anniversary, along with the slap that the High Court has delivered today, they must apologise first to the people of Bengal," he said.

Shah during his speech had also paid tribute to educationist and social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar on his birth anniversary.

Touching upon civic issues, Banerjee defended the state government's handling of heavy rainfall in Kolkata earlier this week.

"If we get 300 mm rainfall in four hours, naturally there will be difficulties. But look at Bengal's resilience. In 48 hours, we have bounced back. Despite such rainfall, how is Shah moving freely from one place to another? If the city was under water, how is he roaming around? This shows that if the government is determined, it can work, and our government has done so," he said.

Asserting that the TMC worked for people's welfare throughout the year, the TMC Lok Sabha leader contrasted its governance model with what he termed as the BJP's "political rhetoric". PTI PNT MNB