Just a few days after actor-turned Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Dev and cricketer Mohammed Shami were served Special Intensive Revision (SIR) notices, this time, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has become the latest victim.
Calling the development "sad", TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said that Sen enriched the country and made it more renowned on the world stage. Banerjee alleged that this was "an attempt to discredit and harass everyone".
Addressing a rally in Birbhum on Tuesday (January 6), Abhishek wondered how a" person like Amartya Sen, who is the pride of the nation and has earned its respect," has been called for an SIR hearing.
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"Even Amartya Sen has been summoned for SIR hearing. Actor Dev and cricketer Md Shami have also been summoned. This is a conspiracy to unmap voters. This fight is to wipe the BJP off the map of Bengal as they want to unmap the people of Bengal," the TMC national general secretary said.
Lashing out at the Election Commission (EC), the TMC MP said that the poll body was targeting the people of Bengal.
Posing the people a question, he asked, "Will Birbhum not give a befitting response to the harassment inflicted through the SIR, in which even the elderly and the sick are made to stand in long queues?"
The EC has, however, not issued any official statement in connection with Abhishek Banerjee's claims.
'Bengal humiliated'
Abhishek claimed that their state, which has played key roles in cultural and social reforms as well has fought for Independence, has been humiliated through SIR.
"Through SIR, Bengal has been humiliated. The BJP have blocked Rs 2 lakh crore funds of Bengal. I challenge BJP to counter me on facts in front of the media. Then we will debate on what our government has given to Birbhum in 15 years and what you [BJP] have done for the people in your tenure of 11 years, he said.
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Banerjee added, "In Bengal, we have 294 Assembly constituencies. If we get this Rs 2 lakh crore, we will be able to spend Rs 680 crore more for development of each constituency. For each booth, Rs 2.5 crore more can be spent for development."
'We will not bow down...'
Claiming that Bengal will never bow down before BJP's Central government, Abhishek said, "They want to financially strangle Bengal. No developmental project has stopped in CM Mamata Banerjee’s tenure despite the Centre not clearing funds."
