Three children died at Bishnupur in West Bengal’s Bankura district when a brick wall collapsed on them after overnight rain on Saturday. The children were between three to five years and were playing when the wall came crashing down.
The incident assumed political colour when Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee blamed the non-payment of funds under PM Awaas Yojana for the tragedy. The father of deceased children also accompanied the Trinamool general secretary to Delhi to participate in the protests organised by the party.
PM responsible
Speaking to journalists before leaving for Delhi, Mr. Banerjee blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister for Rural Development Giriraj Singh, and Bengal BJP leaders as being responsible for these deaths.
“Parents of the deceased children have not received MGNREGA wages. These job cardholders are ready to go to Delhi with just one pair of clothes. I am grateful to them for their dedication to fight for their rights and justice,” the Trinamool leader said.
Meanwhile, the heartbroken father of the three small children admitted that he is going to Delhi but added that he was not willing to go.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership alleged that the father of the deceased children was forced to go to Delhi.
The Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adikari said that the Trinamool Congress leadership took protestors to Delhi under duress. Over 2000 people from different parts of the State are likely to join protests at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on October 3 in protest against denial of central funds to schemes like MGNREGA and PM Awas Yojana.
On October 2, leaders of the Trinamool Congress including MPs and MLAs will assemble at Rajghat to lodge a protest. The protests are likely to be led by the Trinamool general secretary. The party chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been advised rest after her trip to Spain.
MGNREGA being weakened
Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity (PBKMS), a union of MGNREGA workers that organised protests in Delhi in February 2023 called for proper implementation of the MGNREGA, 2005.
“While the TMC needs to take stern action to ensure that its party and its government implement MGNREGA properly, the BJP is using budget cuts, delays in payments and low wages as ways of weakening MGNREGA and of ensuring that people’s demands for work remain unmet,” PBKMS said in a statement.
The samity added that in the name of curbing corruption, the BJP government at the Centre is also using introduction of technology to centralise the Act and to reduce the State Government’s and people’s access to and control of the Act.
