Kolkata: Former Union Minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani on Monday intensified the party’s attack on the West Bengal government, questioning the state’s investment climate and alleging that conditions on the ground would deter potential investors.
Her remarks came in support of BJP Rajya Sabha member Samik Bhattacharya, who launched a sharp attack on the West Bengal government, alleging a large-scale “exodus” of capital, investment and opportunities, and claiming that the state is no longer considered an investment-friendly destination.
Bhattacharya also accused the Trinamool Congress government led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of “total absence of law and order” in the state.
Speaking to IANS, Irani raised concerns over the safety of institutions in the state, saying, “This is the only state where judicial officials were held hostage. Has anyone ever seen this in any other state? Have they seen the President of India being disrespected in any other state? These offices are over and above anybody’s politics. How can investors think they are safe when judicial officials are not safe in West Bengal?”
Speaking to IANS, Bhattacharya, who also heads the BJP’s West Bengal unit, had claimed, “In our state, the fight for capital is on. No investors are coming to West Bengal. They consider West Bengal to be no longer an investment-friendly state. 79,000 companies have been closed in the last 15 years, 1,016 firms are in liquidation, more than 6,300 companies have shifted their head office from Kolkata to elsewhere.”
“Everywhere there is exodus. Exodus of money, exodus of capital investment, exodus of students, exodus of migrant labourers, because there is a lack of the primary condition of an investor, which is the judiciary. The judiciary in Bengal is under threat. There is a total absence of law and order, total anarchy. The Constitution doesn’t exist in West Bengal. At this point, nobody is ready to come to West Bengal,” he had said.
Meanwhile, Irani also criticised the Trinamool Congress over its stance on the Women’s Reservation Bill and its role in voting against the legislation in Parliament.
“This Bill was not for the TMC but for the average Indian woman who wants her political rights and equity in policy making. This was for the country. The Parliament of India does not serve the interests of the Trinamool but that of the country,” Irani said.
(IANS)
