7 claims: Derek O'Brien counters Amit Shah’s claims against Mamata

Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien has done a “fact check” on claims made by Home Minister Amit Shah during his two-day Bengal visit.

O’Brien put a tweet with a screenshot of seven claims made by Shah, whom he addressed as the “henchman of the tourist gang (a reference to Mamata Banerjee describing the BJP as “outsiders”) and offered counter-statements to each.

The opening lines of the tweet read: “#FactCheck of the speech made in Bengal by the henchman of the “tourist gang”. 7 pieces of concocted, false info in one speech. Actually, by his standards, quite low!”

Also read: BJP banking on more TMC exodus after landing prize catch Suvendu

Claims and counter claims

On Amit Shah’s claim that “Mamata Banerjee had left the Congress for another party”, O’Brien said, “Ms Banerjee did not defect… she set up a NEW party after resigning from Congress in 1998.”

Shah’s claim that the “attack on BJP president J P Nadda’s convoy is a serious lapse in security”, too was countered by O’Brien, who said, “The Bengal government has provided Z+ security for JP Nadda, but he violated all regulations by allowing a large convoy of vehicles to follow him.”

Also read: Amit Shah in Kolkata as BJP eyes gains after crucial TMC desertions

Speaking at an election rally in Midnapore, the Home Minister had said that “the Bengal government had denied financial benefits worth Rs 6,000 each to farmers and impeded the rollout of Ayushman Bharat – the centre’s flagship medical insurance scheme.”

The TMC Rajya Sabha MP said, a state-run scheme – started two years before Ayushman Bharat, ensured Rs 5 lakh per year to over 1.4 crore families. “Bengal offered greater per acre benefit for farmers, providing them Rs 5,000 per acre compared to Rs 1,214 per acre offered under the PM Kisan scheme,” he said.

O’Brien also responded to the claim that food and grains meant for the poor people were “appropriated” by the Bengal government. “Under Khady Sathi programme, the state government is committed to provide free rations to up to 10 crore people till June 2021,” the Rajya Sabha MP said.

Speaking at Midnapore on Saturday, Amit Shah launched a series of attacks on Mamata Banerjee, declaring her “misrule, corruption and nepotism” was the reason for so many people leaving her party. Shah’s remarks came in the backdrop of Suvendu Adhikari, a top TMC leader, joining the BJP.

Amit Shah, who visited Bengal last month as well, has set the party a target of 200 of 294 seats.