Inspired by Bengal’s history of speaking the truth, Trinamul Youth Congress and Trinamul Chhatra Parishad members wrote 51,000 letters to Union home minister Amit Shah questioning the BJP-led Centre’s vindictive decision to withhold Bengal’s rightful dues and seeking accountability for the increasing unemployment in the country. Youth leaders said the letters were an attempt to seek answers to their questions during the minister’s visit here.

Several youth groups were seen penning letters on Tuesday across the state concerned about the rising unemployment in the country, the struggling economy, and the BJP-led Union government’s stepmotherly attitude towards Bengal.

Elaborating on the need for the initiative, Trinamul Youth Congress State president Saayoni Ghosh wrote in her letter, “While you will probably address your workers and elected representatives on the upcoming party agenda, there are certain answers that I feel compelled to seek as a young voter of Bengal. I hope you will address the same as an important representative of the Union government.”

Addressing the home minister, she said, “Sir,aap aaye par bahar nahi aayi. Sarkar ko 7,000cr milna abhi baki hai (your visit to state did not bring us any joy as the state owes so much from the Centre).” She further added that India’s unemployment rate under the Modi government had reached a 45-year high at 10%, “forcing a brain-drain and compelling thousands of young Indians to leave the country.”

“The student and youth community had high hopes from the BJP-led central government as it had promised that two crore unemployed people would get jobs every year. While students voted for you in the election, you did not keep your word,” Trinamul Congress Chhatra Parishad state president Trinankur Bhattacharya wrote in the letter and asked Amit Shah to facilitate the release of Bengal’s rightful due.

Many of the student and youth leaders said that they have personally witnessed the challenges faced by MGNREGA and Awas beneficiaries in their neighbourhood. The financial assistance recently provided by the party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee came as a ray of hope for these deprived beneficiaries who have expressed their gratitude towards Abhishek Banerjee for keeping his word.