In a politically fraught move, BJP’s Barrackpore MP, Arjun Singh, backed Trinamool Congress against the Centre over the jute price cap and its bearing on 45 lakh jute industry workers in Bengal.
Singh said he would “strongly protest” till the Centre revoked the Rs 6,500 per quintal price cap on jute and equated it with “hitting one’s own foot with an axe”.
Singh sent a strongly worded letter to Union textile minister Piyush Goyal on April 19 seeking his response within a week and said the action’s economic gains were outweighed by the political losses.
Earlier, CM Mamata Banerjee had flagged this issue with the Centre and, exactly a day before Singh’s letter, on April 18, a senior Trinamool MP had written to Goyal on the issue. Singh said: “People vote on issues, not for me or my party.” He is also the Bengal BJP vice-president.
Singh said: “I was born in a jute mill, I worked in a jute mill, these people have trusted me and voted for me for years. How can I sit back and watch as 14 jute mills have been closed? Around 3 crore people will be impacted by this draconian decision. If need be, I will stage protests. I completely endorse what CM Banerjee said on the issue. I hope they (Trinamool Congress) are more aggressive on this. If need be, I will also speak with them.” Singh had earlier raised the matter in Parliament, and even met Goyal. He had also written to PM Modi on the matter.
Taking a dig at the textile ministry, the BJP MP said, “People are paradropped these days to decide on life and livelihood issues but, we, who work with people.”
(With inputs from agencies)