Crowd claps, but Amit Shah says 'Don't...Mamata di may object'

Kolkata, Jan 23: Amit Shah was in West Bengal yesterday and in a no-holds-barred attack at the Mamata Banerjee-led government, the BJP president slammed the TMC government for opposing Centre's ambitious Ayushman Bharat scheme.

Banerjee announced on Thursday (January 17) that her government will pull out of the Centre's Ayushman Bharat scheme. She said the Narendra Modi-led BJP government has been taking credit for the scheme, which is funded by state governments.

Addressing the rally in Malda on Tuesday, Shah was highlighting the benefits of the scheme to the poor. The crowd began to clap, but Shah, in a bitter jibe at Banerjee, reportedly said, "Don't clap. Mamata di is obstructing it."

Referring to Banerjee's remark where she had questioned Modi's performance since he assumed power in 2014, Shah said: "I have come to reply. He has given 129 welfare schemes to the people."

"The state government has come out of Ayushman Bharat. When the poor people in other states will be able to avail the health insurance benefits under this scheme, the people of Bengal will be deprived of it," he said.

The West Bengal government had initially declined to participate in the Ayushman Bharat scheme as it already had its own health protection scheme called Swasthya Sathi. However, in July last year, the state government signed an agreement to implement the Centre's health insurance scheme under the joint banner 'Ayushman Bharat-Swasthya Sathi'. Following the merger of both schemes in October last year, the cost for the beneficiaries was shared in a 60:40 ratio with the state government bearing 40 per cent of the cost, said an Indian Express report.

West Bengal government had sent a letter to the Centre on its intent to pull out of the scheme also known as Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyan (PMJAY).

"How can they take credit when the state governments bear 40 per cent of the cost for this scheme?" she had said.

Urging people to remove the TMC government from Bengal, Shah on Tuesday said, "Tell me, if poor people of UP get Rs. 5 lakh for treatment, shouldn't Bengal's poor also get it? If Bihar, Maharashtra's poor people get Rs. 5 lakh, should not Bengal's poor people get it? Mamata di says you shouldn't get."

Shah was particularly critical of the recent mega rally held in Kolkata's Brigade Parade Grounds saying it was an alliance of opportunistic and power-hungry people. He said the alliance is only concerned with toppling Prime Minister Narendra Modi and come up with a government which will be weak and unstable, adding that they wanted a strong government which can deal with neighbours like Pakistan.