On Friday (14th June), West Bengal Minister Udayan Guha announced that areas which did not vote substantially for the Trinamool Comgress (TMC) will not receive money for development work.
He later stated that people who voted for the TMC would get preferential treatment over those who voted for rival BJP.
Udayan Guha was heard saying, “I had sanctioned ₹4 crores for development in Mathabhanga I and ₹10 crores for Mathabhanga II. No money has been allocated for Mathabhanga City, Cooch Behar city and my own Dinhata city.”
"I have sanctioned 4 cr for Mathabhanga 1 block, 10 cr for Mathabhanga 2 block.
— Subham. (@subhsays) June 14, 2024
Not a single penny is sanctioned for Coochbehar town, Dinhata town and Mathabhanga town as they gave lead to BJP "-
Minister of North Bengal Development Udayan Guha pic.twitter.com/TgeZC9F5kC
“People who reside in the city think of themselves as more clever than those who live in the village. They should make a firm decision whether they want development in their area or religious politics,” he emphasised.
On being confronted by the media, Udayan Guha remarked that village people would benefit first as they gave more votes to the TMC.
“Everyone will eventually get the money. People in rural areas who voted for us and need it the most will get monetary allocation first,” he was heard saying.
“Let the people in the city first have the realisation that you need to give something to get something in return,” Udayan Guha further cautioned BJP voters.
“Yes, people in the city will be denied funds. Not denied directly but those who deserve it the most would get it first,” he added. Guha compared his brazen discrimination based on people’s voting preferences to ‘eating rasgulla’.
“If I pay ₹5, then, I cannot eat a ₹10 rasgulla. To eat a ₹10 rasgulla, I need to cough up ₹10,” the TMC MLA from Dinhata constituency said.
Besides Mamata Banerjee, TMC MLA Udayan Guha also attempted to downplay the sexual exploitation of women in Sandeshkhali as 'eating pie (Pitha khaowa)' and 'mischief (Dushtami)' on 29th February.
— OpIndia.com (@OpIndia_com) March 10, 2024
Watch:
(6/n) pic.twitter.com/LDFSJvT0PB
In February this year, Udayan Guha attempted to downplay the sexual exploitation of women in Sandeshkhali. He had claimed, “I am not sure if Sheikh Shahjahan has been framed as part of a conspiracy but charges against him are a mistake.”
“He has been falsely implicated. This has been happening ever since ED officials were attacked. In the past, we have never heard these allegations against Sheikh Shahjahan,” the TMC leader gave Sheikh Shahjahan a clean chit.
While trivialising the gravity of sexual violence, Udayan Guha smirked, “I did not know that he liked to eat pie (referring to the sexual exploitation of women) at 12 o’clock in the night. I knew that desire for such mischiefs happen early or late in the night.” Coincidentally, the TMC Minister has been accused of committing sexual harassment in his Vidhan Sabha constituency of Dinhata.
