The BJP on Friday hit the streets across Bengal to demand the resignation of former food minister Jyoti Priya Mallick from Mamata Banerjee’s cabinet, aiming to corner Trinamul over the alleged public distribution system scam.
Mallick, who was food and supplies minister for 10 years since 2011, is now the forest minister.
Over 500 workers of the BJP’s Kisan Morcha on Friday afternoon organised a march to Khadya Bhavan — the headquarters of the state food and civil supplies department — to press for their demand. Holding posters and placards accusing Mallick of being a “thief”, the protesters sat on the road near Khadya Bhavan after they were stopped by police.
“How does a minister arrested in connection with a scam involving the distribution of foodgrains for the poor continue in his post? Mamata Banerjee should remove Jyoti Priya Mallick from her cabinet. We have been organising similar protests across the state and will continue to hit the streets till he is removed,” said Mahadeb Sarkar, president of the Kisan Morcha’s Bengal chapter.
A senior BJP leader said calling for Mallick’s scalp was significant as the ruling Trinamul had put its weight behind the minister. After the arrest of former education minister Partha Chatterjee, the party had been swift to disown him and remove him from the cabinet.
“It is a big racket which used to be run by the former food minister and government officials are part of it. There are many faces like Bakibur Rahaman (the arrested close aide of Mullick) who are part of the corruption chain but are still roaming free. We want action against all,” he added.
Apart from Calcutta, the Kisan Morcha also held protests in the districts. In Bankura, BJP workers burnt the effigy of Mallick, while protesters agitated in Alipurduar, Purulia and East Burdwan.
BJP leaders spearheading the protest claimed that the scam was not only limited to the distribution of foodgrains among the poor, but that a large number of farmers had also been deprived of minimum support price for their paddy as the same machinery looked after both aspects.
The BJP’s protests followed similar agitations by the Congress and the CPM earlier this week.
Attacking the BJP for politicising the issue, a Trinamul leader said: “The ruling party at the Centre is using central agencies to target Trinamul because we are critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government. There is a pattern of targeting the Opposition across India. We are a victim of vengeance.”
Dealers’ fear
The All India Fair Price Shop Dealers’ Federation — an organisation of ration dealers — said on Friday that they should not be targeted in the aftermath of the alleged scam in the PDS system.
“We don’t have any role in manipulating the system as it is controlled centrally by the state authorities. We are on the ground and people are making provocative comments after the PDS scam surfaced. That is why we came up with facts to state that we don’t have any role to play in the system,” said Biswambhar Basu, the national general secretary of the organisation.
