West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday returned from a 12-day Spain and UAE trip only to witness a swipe from other political parties that are now questioning her foreign visit. Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has now hit out at CM Mamata for her trip as rising dengue cases grapple the state. He said that the CM can go to Spain but is incapable of understanding people’s pain. According to ANI, Chowdhury held the state government responsible for the rampant spread of dengue cases in Bengal.
“We had already warned the state government about the rampant spread of dengue during August-September. This is due to the ignorance of the government towards the common people. They can go to Spain but cannot understand the pain of people here,” the state Congress chief said at a press conference in West Bengal’s Murshidabad, as quoted by ANI.
‘How Could She Afford Hotel That Costs Rs 3 Lakh/Day?’
The Congress MP intensified his attack and questioned how Mamata was able to afford the hotel in Madrid costing Rs 3 lakh per day. “We have heard that the Chief Minister does not take her salary. She sustains herself from the sale of her books and from her paintings. How could you afford to stay at a hotel in Madrid that costs Rs 3 lakhs per day?” the Congress leader asked.
Asking how much she spent on the “luxurious” trip, Chowdhury said that even if 10 per cent of the same had been spent in the state, lakhs of youth would have gotten a job.
“How much did you spend on this trip? Which industrialist have you brought here? Don’t fool the people here.” “If 10 per cent of what you had spent in Biswa Bangla industrial meet would have come back, lakhs of those unemployed in Bengal would have got jobs. We want to know which Spanish companies want to invest in Bengal,” he added.
BJP’s ‘Hobnobbing With Corruption’ Jibe
Earlier, opposition leader in Bengal and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari accused the TMC of “hobnobbing with corruption” for questioning Modi’s abroad travel.
Adhikari on his official X (previously known as Twitter) handle writes: “Those who have tried to make an attempt to draw a parallel between Hon’ble Prime Minister @narendramodi ji’s foreign trips with West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s foreign vacation let me tell you the difference -While Hon’ble PM’s strategic trips first laid the foundation for our country to be recognized as one with growing prominence to now being regarded as ‘Vishwa Mitra’ who can proudly host a successfull G20. On the other hand, judging by the current regime’s & ruling Tolamool party’s hobnob with corruption in WB, the only thing which might be achieved after CM”s trip/vacation is a successful gathering of G420.”
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh responded, adding that “Banerjee is more trustworthy” than Modi.
Taking to X, TMC Spokesperson stated: “PM @narendramodi embarked on foreign trips while Manipur was burning. He jetted off to the United States, France & UAE, but didn’t bother to visit Manipur even once. Spare us the charade! We all know which leader is trustworthy & who is not!”
ALSO READ | ‘Very Successful’: Mamata Banerjee Returns From Spain, UAE Visit With ‘Serious Offers For Investments’