West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said that as long as she was alive, she would not be scared of any threats and said that she accepted the challenge for the 2021 Assembly polls.

“We accept all challenges. In the year 2021, a game will be played. I will be the goalkeeper. Let us see who wins. Even if I am put behind bars, I will give call for ‘Joy Bangla’ like ‘Bangabandhu’,” Ms. Banerjee said, participating in an event to observe International Mother Language Day.

‘Joy Bangla’ was the slogan used by “Bangabandhu”, the founder of Bangladesh, Mujib-ur- Rahman. “Khela hobe (let the game be played)” is another slogan that is being echoed in West Bengal’s political circles, both by the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to challenge each other in the upcoming electoral contest.

 

Alleging that there were attempts to break the spine of the State, Ms. Banerjee said that “threats from rats” wouldn’t scare her and she would “fight like a tigress”.

The Chief Minister made these remarks hours after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) served a notice to Rijura Narula, wife of her nephew and Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee. The CM said there had been a constant attempt to belittle West Bengal and also added that despite attempts by the Trinamool Congress to name the State “Bangla”, the Home Ministry had refused to concede to the demand.

Petrol less by ₹1

The West Bengal government on Sunday reduced price of petrol and diesel by ₹1 per litre. The State’s Finance Minister Amit Mitra said the reduction in sales tax would come into effect from midnight. “To reduce the common man’s burden, the State Government has decided to allow rebate of Re 1 per litre on sales tax payable on sales of petrol and diesel w.e.f. the end of midnight of 22nd February 2021 till 30th day of June 2021,” Mr. Mitra said on social media.

The Finance Minister added that the State government received nothing from the cess imposed by the Centre on petrol and diesel. The amount collected through cess was not a part or devolution (of revenues). Petrol prices in the poll-bound State are at nearly ₹92 per litre.

“The Centre earns Rs 32.90 per litre in taxes from petrol, while the state gets Rs 18.46. In case of diesel, the central government’s earning is Rs 31.80 per litre as against Rs 12.57 for the state,” Mr. Mitra said.