Mamata Banerjee: Centre 'deactivating' Aadhaar cards in Bengal to stop benefits for people

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has alleged that the BJP-led central government has "deactivated" Aadhaar cards of people in the state before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Banerjee said that this has been done so that they do not get the benefits of various social welfare schemes of her government through their bank accounts.

Speaking at a public distribution programme in Birbhum district, Banerjee said that her government would continue paying the beneficiaries of the various state-run welfare schemes, even if a person does not have an Aadhaar card.

"Be aware, they (BJP-led Centre) are deactivating Aadhaar cards. Several Aadhaar cards have been deactivated in many districts of Bengal. They (BJP-led Centre) are delinking Aadhaar cards so that before polls people do not get benefits of Lakshmi Bhandar through banks, free rations," Banerjee said.

"But we will continue paying the beneficiaries of the schemes even if they have no Aadhaar card. Not a single beneficiary will be affected," she said.

Referring to the agitation of the farmers in Haryana and Punjab demanding the government's guarantee on minimum support price of their produce, Banerjee said that farmers in Bengal do not face any problems.

"I salute the farmers' protest. I condemn the attacks on them," the West Bengal CM said.