'Dalal for rich': TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee's jibe at Shivraj Singh Chouhan sparks BJP outrage

Kalyan Banerjee

Slammed the Union government over pending central funds for West Bengal, Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee on Tuesday accused Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of acting as a "dalal (broker) for the rich"

The BJP immediately hit back with Minister of State for Agriculture Bhagirath Choudhary demanding an apology from the West Bengal MP for using "derogatory" language against Chouhan.

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Banerjee alleged that central funds for West Bengal under schemes such as MGNREGA and PMAYG were pending for the past three years. He accused the Centre of discriminating against the state as the BJP had failed to form a government there.

"Shivraj Chouhan is a 'dalal' (broker) for the rich... He doesn't work for the poor and that's why he was removed from the post of Madhya Pradesh chief minister," the MP from West Bengal's Serampore alleged.

"They have not given us funds for the last three years. They are saying there are some discrepancies... (that) there are 25 lakh fake job cards (under MGNREGA)... We have told them to carry forward criminal proceedings against the fake cards, but they can't deprive 10 crore people of West Bengal of the funds," Banerjee told reporters. Banerjee alleged that the funds were not released to West Bengal as the BJP has failed to win the state in the 2021 assembly polls.

"Shivraj Chouhan and PM Narendra Modi are against Bengal. They want to form a government there and are failing. They will never come to power there. BJP leaders say don't give funds to Bengal," he claimed. Minister of State for Agriculture Bhagirath Chaudhary, however, dismissed the allegations and said Banerjee should apologise for using unparliamentary language.