Urging "students, youths, priests and imams and all sections of people" to unite and raise a voice of protest against the Centre, she reiterated her long-standing demand for a three-year moratorium on interest payment so that the state could move ahead with its development agenda.
Speaking at a government programme aimed at giving sops to Muslims through various schemes ahead of the crucial panchayat elections, Banerjee said, "We have many plans for welfare of the people, but we do not have enough money left after paying Rs 22,000 crore annually as interest. We told the Centre we do not need its mercy. Are we beggars?"
She emphasised that the Centre cannot shirk its responsibility in allowing the previous CPI(M)-led government to borrow massive loans during its 35 years of rule.
"The previous CPI(M) government kept on borrowing leading to the present acute financial crisis in the state and the Centre remained silent all through and did not protest. Steps should have been taken at that time," she observed.
"We have no way to borrow now at a time when we have no money to provide food through rations to the people and even to fund the schmoes for people belonging to the minority community and the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe," she said.
She regretted that the previous government was permitted to borrow "as many number of times as it required", but when her government took over, "we are told we cannot borrow". MORE