West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Thursday afternoon, said that she would go to New Delhi next month, meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and take up the issue of pending central dues to the state government under various centrally-sponsored schemes.
“I will be going to New Delhi either in the second or third week of December. The Winter Session of the Parliament will be on then. I will visit the Parliament then and meet the Prime Minister. I will seek time from him to discuss the issue of pending central dues,” the Chief Minister said while addressing an organisational convention of the Trinamool Congress at Netaji Indoor Stadium on Thursday afternoon.
Speaking on the occasion, Mamata Banerjee also made it clear that even if the Prime Minister gives time for the meeting it will not be a one-to-one meeting. Rather, the Chief Minister added, all the MPs from both Houses of Parliament will be accompanying her there.
“In case the Prime Minister does not give us time for the meeting, there will be renewed movement by Trinamool Congress against non-payment of the central dues,” Mamata Banerjee said.Speaking on the occasion, probably for the first time, Mamata Banerjee voiced support for the party Lok Sabha member Mahua Moitra on the issue of her alleged involvement in the ‘cash-for-query’ case.
“The only aim of the BJP now is to expel Mahua from the Parliament now. But that will just add to her popularity. What she said in the Parliament before, she will say it outside then. The BJP made a grave mistake by pushing her,” the Chief Minister said. On an earlier occasion, Mamata Banerjee had tried to distance herself from the matter and said that Mahua Moitra was capable enough to answer the allegations raised against her.
Incidentally, because of renewed eye infection, the Trinamool Congress’ National General Secretary and the party Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee could not be physically present at the organisational convention. Instead, he attended the programme virtually.