Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday lashed out at the Mamata Banerjee government, accusing it of depriving his “kisan bhai bahen (farmer brothers and sisters)” from Bengal of central assistance under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme because of “political reasons”.

In a public address, Modi singled out the farmers of Bengal for being deprived. “I feel sad for this... that farmers of the entire country are getting benefited, governments of all ideologies are linked with this (the welfare scheme), but only the West Bengal government (is depriving) more than 70 lakh farmers, my farmer brothers and sisters from Bengal,” he said.

The Prime Minister was addressing the farmers virtually from Delhi after releasing money to farmers under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.

Modi went on: “They (Bengal’s farmers) are not able to take the benefit of this scheme. They are not able to get this money because the Bengal government, because of its political reasons, (is depriving) farmers of their state of this central government scheme.”

The central government and the BJP had turned this routine government welfare exercise into a big event this time in a bid to counter the ongoing farmers’ protests against the new farm laws which they feel would benefit big corporate houses and deny them of the minimum support price buffer, among others.

As the heat of the upcoming electoral battle warmed up Bengal’s December, Modi also used this opportunity to pursue his party’s Mission Bengal. He launched a scathing attack at the Bengal government in an attempt to reach out to the farmers of the state in view of the upcoming polls.

Modi said that several farmers from Bengal had directly written to the central government and applied for money under the PM-Kisan scheme but the state government was not allowing the Centre to transfer money.

“Can you imagine, lakhs of farmers have applied online to take the benefit of the scheme but the state government has blocked that too,” he said.

He wondered aloud why there were no protests in the state to ensure that farmers got the benefits of the PM-Kisan scheme.

Under the Centre’s flagship PM-Kisan scheme under which Rs 6,000 per year is given to each eligible small and marginal farmer.

The money is given to each farmer thrice a year in three equal installments.

Modi used this opportunity to slam the Left too, but without taking names.

He addressed the Left as “jo log, jo tees saal tak Bangal me raaj karte thhey (those people who had ruled Bengal for 30 years)”.

He claimed that they not even once had raised their voice against this deprivation of farmers by the ruling party in Bengal.

He said that though they (Left) were in the Opposition and had their party cadres, they didn't hold any protest in this matter.

“What kind of people are they? In Bengal they have their party, their organisation....not once did they, for this scheme under which farmers get Rs 2,000, run any protest.” he said.

“If they (indicating the Left) have so much love for farmers then why didn’t you protest for justice for the farmers so that they get their money under the (PM-Kisan) scheme,” Modi added and then went to question their participation in the farmers’ protest in Punjab.

“And from there (Bengal) you reach Punjab, then questions arise,” Modi said, seeking to accuse the Left of opposing the farm laws over politics. The Prime Minister also took a swipe at the Left-ruled Kerala government, pointing out that these people never agitated there.

The Left and the Congress have decided to fight the

upcoming 2021 Bengal state polls together. They had fought the 2016 Assembly elections together too, but won only 76 out of the 294 seats in Bengal.

Modi levelled the same charge against Bengal’s ruling party Trinamul, again without taking names.

He said that while depriving the farmers in Bengal, those associated with the Bengal government had gone to Punjab. He also accused the Trinamul of secretly joining hands with the Left to mislead the farmers of Punjab.

Against the backdrop of the release of the PM-Kisan instalment on Friday, Modi also posted a series of tweets in Hindi about the dole to farmers, which he termed good governance, hit out at the “politics of selfishness in Bengal” as well as defended the new farm laws.

He said that earlier the entire risk was borne by the farmers and others took away the return. But the new farm laws and reforms had changed the scenario, he added.

He also said that countless canards were being spread regarding the new laws.