Mamata hits back: ‘Those who don’t know poverty are talking big’

Hours earlier, Rahul Gandhi, addressing a rally at Nagrakata in Jalpaiguri district, had criticised the state government saying money sent by the Centre was not properly utilised.

“Upstart leaders from Delhi are saying a lot of funds are provided to Bengal. Do you know accounts? Did you ever do it and do you know what work is? Do you know how funds come and are spent and how they are returned?” Mamata asked. She said she does not want to take names as they were “not worth mentioning”.

Attacking the Centre for trying to “economically starve” Bengal and dwelling on interest payment for the loans taken by the earlier

Left Front government, she said, “Those who have taken away Rs 74,000 crore towards debt repayment are talking big. They have not given us Rs 87,283 crore, which we are entitled to,” she said.