Suvendu Adhikari calls for strict action against 'fake job card holders'

Kolkata (West Bengal): Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday said he will meet MoS Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti to raise the issue of "fake job card holders" in West Bengal.

The BJP leader asserted that strict action will be taken against those who have looted people's money.

"Tomorrow evening at 6 pm, I'll meet MoS Sadvi Niranjan Jyoti in New Delhi to discuss the issue of fake job card holders. BJP has no issue with genuine job card holders the problem is with those 1.32 lakh fake job card holders in the state," he said, adding, "I will go to Delhi and ensure that those who are withdrawing money on fake job cards are brought under the law. Legal action should also be taken against the Panchayat Pradhans who issued fake job cards from 2018 to 2023. The people who have lotted nation's money, state money, taxes and GST I'll ensure that strict action be taken against them," he said in an address to the media.

Suvendu Adhikari also alleged the ruling Trinamool Congress party's involvement in issuing fake job cards and called it the biggest scam after independence.

"1.30 lakh fake job cards have already been found by the concerned authority due to the link between Aadhaar and Job Cards. It was a big scam after independence. More than 5000-8000 crore rupees siphoned by the fake job card holders through the help of the TMC", he said in a statement.

Earlier, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said that TMC is protesting in Delhi just to cover up their scams which is why it has sent its 'corrupt' MPs to Delhi. The Union Minister said, "Their (TMC) corrupt government duped the poor of their money under MGNREGA and allotted houses in the name of those who already had houses."

He also alleged non-allocation of funds for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and other schemes by the Centre for the West Bengal sparked sharp exchanges between the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders.

The Trinamool Congress leaders are protesting at Rajghat in the national capital with placards reading ‘Release Bengal Funds Now’, ‘Bengal deprived 1 lakh 15 thousand crore families, Rs 15,000 crore owed’. TMC MPs have alleged denial of MGNREGA and other housing scheme funds by the central government to the state.

(ANI)