As Modi-Mamata meet in Delhi, Bengal LoP storms into state secretariat

Kolkata, Dec 20 (IANS) When Prime Minister Narendra Modi was having a meeting on Wednesday with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her accompanying Trinamool Congress MPs over the pending central dues issue, the leader of the opposition (LoP), Suvendu Adhikari stormed into the secretariat along with fellow BJP legislators to protest against the alleged irregularities in the implementation of different centrally-sponsored schemes in the state.

The leader of the opposition along with three fellow BJP legislators suddenly stormed in at the state secretariat of Nabanna at Mandirtala in Kolkata-adjacent Howrah district in afternoon.

After some initial slogan shouting, the delegation went to the chamber of the state chief secretary H.K. Dwivedi and reportedly submitted a complaint. Later after coming out of the state secretariat, the leader of the opposition said that he had briefed the chief secretary about the growing grievances of the public about the implementation irregularities on this count.

“I initially sought an appointment for the chief secretary. But no reply came from his office. So today we came to the state secretariat without giving any prior intimation. But I am a law abiding citizen. Since Section 144 is imposed in and around the state secretariat, only four of us came,” Adhikari told media persons at the state secretariat gate.

He also said that it is the chief minister's gimmick of holding a meeting with the Prime Minister in New Delhi over the demand for the dues under different central- sponsored projects.

“But we are here to voice the grievances of the people deprived of the benefits under different centrally-sponsored schemes because of their implementation irregularities at the state level. There are definite attempts to suppress the voices of the opposition BJP legislators in West Bengal. Even the elected BJP legislators are not invited at the administrative review meetings. The people in areas with opposition MLAs are deprived of their legitimate dues,” the leader of the opposition said.