The West Bengal government’s outreach programme Duare Sarkar (government at doorstep) has become a new flashpoint between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Bharatiya Janata party (BJP).
TMC leader and State’s Minister for labour and law Moloy Ghatak said that in the first five days of the scheme being launched, about 16.53 lakh beneficiaries have been reached through the outreach programme.
“The BJP hasn’t taken too well to the success of this scheme. Some of their leaders tried unsuccessfully to disrupt the scheme. Now they’ve resorted to inflammatory statements. None of them have come out in support of this programme. This shows they do not care about the people of Bengal,” a press statement issued by the party quoted Mr. Ghatak .
The Minister described Duare Sarkar as a scheme to ensure that people avail the benefits of 11 State-run welfare schemes reaches people as a unique initiative of the TMC government.
In a related development, factionalism within the TMC came to fore when minister for Consumer Affairs, Self Help Group and Self-Employment Sadhan Pande went to a Duare Sarkar camp in Kolkata and got into a heated altercation with another section of party leaders. Mr. Pande also reportedly pushed a television journalist at the venue.
BJP State unit president Dilip Ghosh had described the Duare Sarkar programme as a “publicity exercise” by TMC ahead of the Assembly polls.
BJP vice-president Jaiprakash Majumdar said instead of blaming the BJP for trouble over Duare Sarkar camps, the ruling party should look into infighting.
Violence at Baraboni
Meanwhile, violence erupted at Baraboni in Paschim Bardhaman over BJP’s Aay Noi Anyay (No more injustice), a counter campaign to the Duare Sarkar scheme.
Several persons were injured in the violence, where crude bombs were hurled and bullets were fired. One BJP supporter also sustained bullet injury and is admitted to a private hospital. The BJP leadership accused the TMC supporters of attacking their workers.
BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya visited the area and met the injured party supporters. Mr. Ghatak said the violence was result of internal feud in the BJP.
