Smriti Irani launches ‘Matri Shakti Bharosa Card’ in Bengal, attacks TMC rule
Kolkata (PTI): Senior BJP leader Smriti Irani on Wednesday attacked the TMC government in West Bengal, alleging large-scale corruption, financial mismanagement and failure to ensure women's safety, while promising a monthly cash support of Rs 3,000 for every woman if the saffron party is voted to power in the state.
Addressing a press conference after launching the 'Matri Shakti Bharosa Card', Irani claimed that despite substantial central assistance, the state continues to suffer from what she termed a "cut-money culture."
The Matri Shakti Bhorosa Card is an initiative by the BJP in West Bengal to provide direct financial assistance of Rs 3,000 per month to women. It is designed as a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme aimed at empowering women, with the cards used to enrol beneficiaries for this monthly support if the party wins the state election.
Responding to TMC allegations of the Centre withholding the state's funds, she claimed West Bengal received Rs 7.24 lakh crore in tax devolution and around Rs 3 lakh crore in grants-in-aid between 2014 and 2026, apart from Rs 24,000 crore in interest-free loans for capital expenditure.
Questioning the utilisation of funds, she alleged irregularities in welfare schemes, including the existence of "25 lakh fake job cards" under MGNREGA.
"Who took that money? Why was cash recovered from the homes of TMC ministers?" she asked.
Targeting the Mamata Banerjee-led government, the former Union minister also flagged concerns over law and order and women's safety, citing incidents of violence and alleging intimidation of victims and their families in high-profile cases, including the R G Kar hospital incident.
Highlighting the BJP's 'Sankalp Patra', she said the party has promised Rs 3,000 per month for all women, Rs 21,000 assistance for pregnant women, creation of 75 lakh 'Lakhpati Didis', 33 per cent reservation for women in government jobs, and financial aid for girls enrolling in graduation courses.
Irani said, "I realised the TMC government’s approach towards women when I was the Union minister for women and child development. When the Centre announced the establishment of ‘one-stop centres’ for women facing violence, we faced difficulties in rolling it out in Bengal."
Now all over India, there are more than 900 such centres funded entirely by the Union government through which over 3.3 lakh cases related to crimes against women have been addressed, she said.
On employment, she alleged that the lack of opportunities has forced large-scale migration of youth from the state.
Referring to poll-related violence, she claimed BJP workers continue to face attacks but remain committed to democratic processes.
Dismissing the TMC's campaign around alleged restrictions on fish consumption under a BJP regime, Irani termed it a "diversionary tactic".
Instead, she questioned the decline in fish production in the state and the increasing dependence on supplies from other states.
"The real issue is how taxpayers' money is utilised, how women's safety is ensured, and how development can be accelerated under the BJP government," she said.
VIDEO | West Bengal election: BJP leader Smriti Irani (@smritiirani) on 'Matri Shakti Bhorosa card', said,
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 15, 2026
"I think BJP has demonstrated its capacity to deliver on its economic promises to women in states where it has formed governments. For instance, in Maharashtra, around 1.5… pic.twitter.com/sZ2k0Dwlnp
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BJP using women's quota bill as front to pass Delimitation Bill that will break India: Mamata
Cooch Behar (WB) (PTI): Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday alleged the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre was using the proposed amendment to the women's quota law in Parliament as a front for the Delimitation Bill that would "break the country into pieces".
The TMC will fight this Central government's move at every step, she asserted at her party's poll rally here.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to tweak the women's quota law, along with the Delimitation Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, to implement the proposed amended women's quota law, in the Union territories of Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir, were introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
According to the Constitution amendment bill, Lok Sabha seats will be increased to a maximum of 850 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.
Seats will also be increased in state and Union territory assemblies to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.
Opposing the Centre's move, Banerjee alleged that "the BJP brought the Delimitation Bill while keeping the women's reservation bill at the front".
"The BJP is trying to increase the number of seats in the Lok Sabha to nearly 850 through the Delimitation Bill. It will break the country into pieces," the TMC supremo said.
She also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not speaking the truth about the development of north Bengal at a BJP rally last week.
"The prime minister said nothing was done for the development of north Bengal. But we spent Rs 1.72 lakh crore on the development of the region," Banerjee said and asked Modi to cross-check data before making such remarks.
