Criticising the Trinamool Congress Government’s decision to provide financial assistance to about 7,000 local clubs, the State Bharatiya Janata Party’s president Rahul Sinha alleges that it is the Government’s effort to “garner votes.”
“The State Government announced financial assistance to the tune of Rs.105 crore for clubs. But it has no plans for the poor, neither is it bothered about development of infrastructure and education,” said Mr. Sinha here on Sunday.
“The State Government is spending money on festivals when there are more than one crore unemployed youth here. They have no choice but to go to other States in search of employment,” alleged Mr. Sinha.
On Saturday, Ms. Banerjee announced that Rs.2 lakh each would be given to the 3,500 new clubs and Rs.1 lakh to those 3,500 clubs which had received Rs.2 lakh last year. The State Sports Department had started the scheme of providing financial assistance to local clubs in Bengal in 2012.
Bengal’s neighbourhood clubs have an interesting political and cultural history. Formed in the 19th and early 20th Century most of the old clubs, many of which have now disappeared, promoted various forms of physical training and sports. However, many of those also recruited cadres for freedom movement. In early 20th Century, fitness clubs like Anushilan Samiti or its offshoot Jugantar clandestinely nurtured armed revolutionaries while officially running clubs to ‘strengthen body and mind’.
Many young men from these clubs are reportedly engaged by political parties to run various welfare programmes in the neighbourhood and to manage the booths during the elections.
Hence, the BJP fears that by spending about Rs.105 crore, the TMC government will be able to win the allegiance of nearly 7,000 clubs, which may affect the Opposition adversely in 2016 Assembly elections.
“More importantly, it is the taxpayers’ money,” said Mr Sinha.
Interestingly, on Sunday, the TMC raised similar allegation against the BJP for hosting ‘Vibrant Gujarat’ using taxpayers’ money. “This part of ‘Vibrant Gujarat’ is a sponsored programme brought to you by the Central Government...Optical illusion & hallucination over real execution,” tweeted TMC spokesperson Derek O’Brien on Sunday.
