Patna, February 28: In a sharp critique of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, JD(U) leader Neeraj Kumar accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of deliberately steering clear of development issues ahead of the state assembly elections. Speaking exclusively to IANS in Patna, Kumar lamented that the ruling party in Bengal never engages the public on matters of progress and growth.
“Mamata Banerjee should issue a development manifesto for Bengal,” Kumar asserted, highlighting TMC’s reliance on emotional appeals rather than substantive policy discussions. He pointed out the party’s dismissal of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, an Election Commission initiative to cleanse voter lists. “This is a crucial electoral safeguard, yet TMC politicizes it,” he said, contrasting it with public backlash against Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav’s anti-SIR protests in Bihar.
Kumar defended the SIR process, noting it has been conducted before to remove fraudulent voters. He questioned opposition discomfort with ensuring electoral integrity. Shifting to national politics, he downplayed the acquittal of Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia in the Delhi excise policy case, calling it a routine judicial step with CBI likely to appeal higher.
On Assam’s political landscape, Kumar observed that even the ruling BJP there seeks public mandate, underscoring the power of the people. He praised BJP’s Parivartan Yatra in Bengal as a voter outreach effort filling the development void left by TMC.
Addressing Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s Bihar visit and infiltration concerns, Kumar emphasized the central government’s firm stance. “Our land cannot be encroached by foreigners,” he declared. On Patna University student elections, he expressed optimism for JD(U)’s panel victory. Finally, slamming RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s court appearance in the IRCTC scam, Kumar labeled him a blemish on socialist politics, urging retirement at his age.