Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee has warned that the price of cooking gas can rise to ₹2,000 per cylinder if the Bharatiya Janata Party returns to power at the Centre after the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Mamata Banerjee was addressing a gathering in Bengal's Jhargram district on Thursday.
Mamata Banerjee, a staunch critic of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claimed the party will force the masses to return to collecting wood for fire.
"If the BJP wins the elections, they may hike the price of a cooking gas cylinder to ₹1,500 or ₹2,000. Then again, we will have to go back to the old practice of collecting wood to light a fire," she said.
Mamata Banerjee also said that if the Central government doesn't complete building houses under the Awas Yojana by April-end, the West Bengal government will start constructing them.
Banerjee said the BJP government didn't pay the MGNREGA dues.
"I asked one youth whether he got the money for the 100 days' work scheme. He said he got around ₹30,000. This was the amount that the central government had not paid people like him for the last two years. We have paid 59 lakh people their dues," she added.
BJP vs Trinamool over Shajahan Sheikh
{{/usCountry}}"I asked one youth whether he got the money for the 100 days' work scheme. He said he got around ₹30,000. This was the amount that the central government had not paid people like him for the last two years. We have paid 59 lakh people their dues," she added.
BJP vs Trinamool over Shajahan Sheikh
{{/usCountry}}The BJP and the Trinamool Congress are currently locked in a pitched political battle over the arrest of TMC strongman Shajahan Sheikh, the main accused in the Sandeshkhali sexual assault case.
The Trinamool Congress has suspended the controversial politician for six years.
Reacting to the arrest, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose said on Thursday that his arrest is the "beginning of an end".
Also read: Sheikh Shahjahan arrested: Trinamool credits Abhishek Banerjee, BJP dubs it scripted
"This is the beginning of an end. We have to put an end to the cycle of violence in Bengal. In parts of Bengal, the goons are ruling the roost. This must end, and the gangsters should be put behind bars," he said.
After his arrest, TMC leader Derek O'Brien dared the BJP to suspend its leaders who have criminal cases against them.
"We have decided to suspend Shajahan Sheikh from the party for 6 years. As always, we walk the talk. We have set examples in the past, and we are doing that today. But we dare the BJP to suspend leaders, who have corruption cases against them and have several criminal cases against them," he said.
With inputs from ANI, PTI