Modi inaugurated Ayodhya temple 3 months before Ram Navami eyeing polls: Abhishek

Kolkata, Sep 22 (PTI) Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Monday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the Ayodhya temple three months before Ram Navami, eyeing the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, amid West Bengal BJP's criticism of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for throwing open Durga Puja pandals before the auspicious 'Devi Paksha'.

Abhishek Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress national general secretary, while speaking to reporters at his Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, also accused the Modi government of having perfected the "art of double speak, taking no accountability for abrupt declaration of demonetisation leading to deaths of many people, and taking away financial dues of the state against the spirit of the federal setup".

Asked about the Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari's criticism of the CM for inaugurating the pandals before Devi Paksha, which marks the start of Durga Puja festivities, he said, "Well, she just inaugurated the pandals a day before the start of Devi Paksha, and did not inaugurate the idols." "What about the PM inaugurating the Ram temple and the idol of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya in January 2024, three months before Ram Navami? Has any BJP leader commented on that act which was done eyeing the Lok Sabha elections?" he asked.

Accusing the BJP of lacking transparency, he demanded to know how much money had been given to West Bengal and how much taken from the state through direct and indirect taxes.

"The BJP unilaterally imposed GST on a wide range of essential commodities. They had thought they could run the country at their will. Now, they have lowered it, and I think it will be lessened further," he said.

Accusing the BJP of blocking funds to West Bengal for projects like MGNREGA, he accused the Modi government of not "honouring the Calcutta High Court order on the issue".

"When Narendra Modi talks about the poor, he must explain why 69 lakh job card holders are yet to get money from the Centre... the state mopped up resources from its limited corpus to help them," he said.

Referring to demonetisation announced by the Modi government in 2016, he said, "The BJP is yet to reply who was responsible for pushing to death so many people in the wake of the sudden and drastic announcement of the PM. It owes an explanation to the kin of those who died waiting in queues for hours." Banerjee accused the BJP of using the two "previously independent agencies" -- ED and CBI -- to "torture its political opponents". PTI SUS ACD