BJP attacks Mamata Banerjee government's West Bengal growth claims

NEW DELHI: BJP on Wednesday termed the Mamata Banerjee government as an extension of the Left Front's 34-year "misrule" and said West Bengal was only witnessing growth of "bomb-making" industry and the "syndicates" run by supporters of the ruling Trinamool Congress.

BJP also accused the TMC government of using tax-payers' money to "spread falsehood" about the state's economic growth through advertisements, saying it was a "blatant distortion of statistics". The party said Bengal's "very low" economic base is the reason for stunted growth.

Addressing a press conference, party secretary Siddharth Nath Singh, also co-incharge of the state, claimed that West Bengal was becoming an "ungovernable state" and was in a state of "terminal decline".

Refuting the TMC's claim of increasing growth in the state, he said there was little 'Own Tax Revenue' rise and that the OTR ratio to the state's gross domestic product was only 5.7 per cent, one of the lowest in the country while the debt ratio at 35 per cent was more than that of the three BJP-ruled states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.

"The TMC government's claim that Bengal is witnessing a boom in industrialisation is contrary to the ground reality. Industries like jute and tea are closing down. Only one industry is flourishing - bomb making.

"The lack of industrialisation is because of the growth of syndicates under TMC which have replaced local committees of the Left rule. The government's donations to these syndicates have grown to Rs 115 crore in 2015 from Rs 15.62 crore in 2012," Singh said. The assembly election in the state is likely to be held early next year.

Buttressing his point that Bengal's 10.48 per cent growth in 2014-15 was due to its low base, he said a poor state like Bihar had grown by 17 per cent for the same reason.

The state government's claim about starting of projects worth over Rs 91,000 crore was also "misleading," he said, noting that work worth over Rs 70,000 crore pertained to the Centre.

He also hit out at the Congress government in Assam for registration of a criminal case against BJP workers over their protests at its office. He alleged that that it took no action against its leaders involved in targeting BJP leaders and the party office. "It is a case of double standards," he said.