Agartala, January 15, 2025: Castigating the Trinamool Congress (TMC)-led government in West Bengal, Tripura’s former Chief Minister and Lok Sabha MP Biplab Kumar Deb on Thursday launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, alleging that both the present TMC regime and the previous Left Front government had “completely ruined the fate of the state.”

Replying to a volley of questions from journalists in Agartala, Deb took strong exception to the TMC’s much-publicised slogan “Maa, Maati, Manush,” claiming that it had failed to deliver any tangible benefit to the people of West Bengal. “West Bengal was once a state that contributed 25 to 30 per cent to the revenue of the central government. But under the rule of the Communists and later Mamata Banerjee along with her nephew, that contribution has come down to single digits,” Deb alleged.

He further accused the ruling dispensation of prioritising personal enrichment over public welfare. “They believed only in personal income generation and nothing else. Despite having enormous potential and sources to contribute to the Centre, the state has been pushed into economic distress,” the MP said.

Highlighting the financial burden on citizens, Deb claimed that the debt situation in West Bengal had reached alarming levels. “Today, every person in West Bengal is in debt—even a newly born child is born with debt. As of 2025, the per capita debt stands at around Rs 2.52 lakh, while per capita income is only about Rs 1.29 lakh,” he stated.

Deb also pointed to large-scale industrial decline and unemployment in the state. “Nearly 7,000 small and big industries have shut down or left West Bengal. As a result, around 1.5 crore youths have migrated to different states in search of employment,” he claimed.

Referring to the law-and-order situation, the former Chief Minister alleged that the conviction rate in criminal cases remained in single digits. “Police do not investigate properly. Justice is not delivered,” Deb said, adding that the public sentiment had begun shifting since the 2021 Assembly elections. “The people supported the BJP, and now the masses are fighting while the BJP is standing with them,” he asserted.

Deb’s remarks come amid ongoing political sparring between the BJP and the TMC over governance, economy, and law-and-order issues in West Bengal.