After PM Modi's high-octane rally in Bengal, Trinamool Congress 'fact-checks' his charges

Ripping apart the ruling Trinamool Congress and the erstwhile Left Front government, PM Modi said they wrecked the greatness, global image and the dignity of Bengal under their rule.

He said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's party is under the spotlight again over alleged irregularities in appointments for cash-for-jobs scam after the Calcutta High Court recently cancelled recruitments of over 25,000 teaching and non-teaching staff in the state.

"There was a time when Bengal was the engine of the country's development and progress. Be it social reforms, scientific advancements, as well as philosophical and spiritual thinking and awakening, Bengal led the way," PM Modi said at a rally in Malda district, where the majority of voters are Muslims.

"However, the Left Front and the present TMC regime robbed Bengal of its greatness on the global stage and lowered its dignity and prestige in the eyes of the world. Only scams worth thousands of crores are flourishing in Bengal under TMC rule," PM Modi said.

"Not a brick is laid in Bengal without money changing hands. Corruption has become synonymous with the state. They (TMC) did not even spare farmers. They played with the future of the state's youth and have now left 26,000 families jobless. They are facing the burden of unpaid loans that they took to pay the TMC in exchange for these jobs," PM Modi said.

Countering his charges, the Trinamool said the BJP government withheld funds worth Rs. 1.6 lakh crore under various heads for Bengal.

This was in response to PM Modi's comment that only the BJP is working towards Bengal's development.

On PM Modi's comment that the Kaushal Vikas Yojana and the Start-Up India programme have empowered the youth, the Trinamool claimed the placement rate for the Kaushal Vikas Yojana 2.0 stood at 23 percent, while for the PMKVY 3.0, it was even lower at 8 per cent.

While PM Modi had said in the rally that the Trinamool had not been allowing the Centre to start the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Bengal, the party claimed 40 percent of funds under this scheme should come from the state.