"We do not want alms from the Centre. If we do not get our dues then we will go in a body to Lal Quila to demand it," Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress chief told a party rally here.
"We want it so that we can work for the people. People of Bengal will not tolerate this for long. You cannot economically starve Bengal," she said.
Alleging that the Centre had a nexus with the previous Left Front government which resulted in a debt burden of Rs two lakh crore, she said "You should auction the CPI(M) party headquarters here to realise the money. The CPI(M) has amassed wealth amounting to thousands of crores."
She said that the UPA-I and UPA-II governments permitted the Left Front government to borrow rampantly and build up a debt burden and asked "Why should we pay for the sins committed by the previous government?"
She said that Centre was taking Rs 40,000 crore per year on account of various taxes from which Rs 18,000 was being given to the state from the central pool.
"However another Rs 26,000 crore is being taken away from the state in the form of debt and interest repayment on central loans," she added.
