PM Modi is not letting us provide free vaccine to all in Bengal: Mamata Banerjee

Banerjee said she had placed the request before election dates were announced.

West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not allowing the Bengal government to offer free vaccine to all voters ahead of the Assembly elections. Banerjee was speaking at Gopiballavpur in Jhargram district on Wednesday, addressing a public rally. She said that the Bengal government had handled COVID-19 efficiently, but now cases are increasing again.

Banerjee said that she had made a request to PM Modi to provide the Bengal government with enough vaccines, which the state would pay for, but the Centre had not responded to the request. She said that her request was placed before the election dates were announced and before the model code of conduct came into effect, so that she would not be accused of flouting the code of conduct. “In Bihar, Modi-ji had promised to give free vaccine to people if they came to power, but they have not delivered yet,” she said.

Banerjee said that the BJP is not acquainted with the local problems. “What do they know about the problems of the local people here? BJP has never been here. They were not to be seen during Amphan, COVID-19 nor when there was bloodshed here due to the Maoist movement,” she added, adding, “now they are sending thousands of leaders and goons to take over the area”.

She said though she is unable to walk and is in constant pain, yet she came out to prevent the BJP from taking over Jhargram. “They rigged two booths in Goaltore to win the elections, I know that,” Banerjee said. “The Centre has another weapon now – the National Register for Citizens (NRC). They will ask you to produce birth certificates or your parents, and if you are unable to provide that, they will declare you are illegal citizen,” she said.

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