WEST BENGAL: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticized the central government led by the BJP, claiming that the Indian Railways was destroyed when the practice of presenting a separate Railway Budget was discontinued. In 2017, the Narendra Modi government merged the Railway Budget with the Union Budget, which had been a tradition for almost a century. Banerjee expressed her concerns, stating that nobody seems to care about these issues anymore.
“Indian Railways was destroyed the day we stopped presenting the Budget separately. No one seems to care about these things these days," Banerjee told the media.
Banerjee's remarks came after a triple train accident in Odisha on June 2, resulting in the unfortunate death of 288 individuals, including residents of West Bengal. She accused the BJP government of trying to suppress the truth regarding the train crash. Banerjee also referred to the unrest in Manipur and alleged that the central government was preventing journalists and others from visiting the northeastern state in order to hide the truth.
"We have seen how the central government tries to suppress news about Manipur. Journalists aren't allowed to travel there and report freely. Hence, when I say that this government hides facts, it is true. The countrymen will give their reply to the government, I am waiting for that day," she said.
“They (BJP) should be ashamed of themselves for remaining silent over the atrocities taking place in Manipur and Uttar Pradesh," she added.
Regarding reports that the Union Ministry of Labour & Employment accused the state government of diverting funds from the Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board to compensate the victims of the train accident, Banerjee responded by stating that she utilized funds from the Disaster Management department for that purpose.
Mamata Banerjee criticized the central government for merging the Railway Budget with the Union Budget, claiming it led to the destruction of the Indian Railways. She accused the BJP government of suppressing the truth behind the recent train accident and preventing access to Manipur by journalists and others. Banerjee defended her use of funds from the Disaster Management Department for compensating the victims and expressed her anticipation for the day when the government would be held accountable by the people.
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