Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Kolkata to launch key social security schemes, BJP today termed as "political masala" the reports of its new-found "bonhomie" with TMC but said "welfare of the people cannot be traded for political calculations".
Insisting that it will continue to fight a political battle with the Mamata Banerjee-led outfit, BJP took at dig at her government, saying people will no longer have to depend on chit fund schemes, a reference to the Saradha Scam.
TMC's support in Parliament to the Centre over land boundary agreement with Bangladesh and also the GST Bill has triggered speculation that the Bengal outfit is warming up to the saffron party after relentlessly opposing its government in Parliament.
"A section of media and opposition members are speculating that there is a new bonhomie between BJP and TMC. Unfortunately, their focus is not on the immense benefit that the socially deprived crores of Indians will get but in political masala. We would rather leave this wild speculation to their respective wisdom...
"Political battles will and ought to be fought with TMC but welfare of the people cannot be traded for political calculations," the party's National Secretary and Bengal in-charge Sidharth Nath Singh said in a statement.
He said 12 crore people have opened accounts under Jan Dhan Yojna and "no more have to depend" on chit fund firms born during CPIM rule and grown under TMC tenure.
Attacking the Modi government's critics, he said those claiming "patent on suit-boot, ma-maati, Karl Marx and Samajwad" should answer why the country had to wait for so many years for these universal pro-poor schemes being launched by Modi.
The Prime Minister's decision to launch the scheme in Kolkata and later inaugurate a steel plant in the state sends out the message that the Centre believes in "cooperative federalism", he said.
The government is launching three social security schemes across the country on May 9 with Modi leading the drive in Kolkata while his ministerial colleagues will inaugurate them in difference cities.
