Trinamul Congress MP Derek O’Brien on Thursday mounted a sharp rebuttal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, unveiling what he termed a “7-point reality check” to challenge claims made during the latter’s speech in West Bengal earlier in the day.
In a post on X, O’Brien accused the Prime Minister of presenting a distorted picture on key socio-economic issues, remarking that “this is so easy to do, every time he makes a speech, both inside Parliament or at a rally.”
Highlighting unemployment, the TMC leader claimed that “one out of three youth isn’t in employment, education, or training, with seven out of 10 graduates unemployed.” He juxtaposed this with West Bengal’s record, asserting that the state had reduced unemployment by 40 per cent while generating over two crore jobs.
On government vacancies, O’Brien alleged that “one out of every five Union government positions is vacant,” citing gaps in departments such as civil aviation and labour and employment.
Touching on women’s safety, he said Kolkata had been ranked the safest city for four consecutive years, drawing a contrast with reported incidents in states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
On the economic front, O’Brien claimed that “India has the largest number of poor people globally, with four out of five Indians earning less than Rs 171 daily.” He added that West Bengal’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) had grown fivefold over the past 15 years, while the number of registered companies in the state rose by 83 per cent between 2011 and 2025.
The TMC leader further alleged that the Centre had impeded development by withholding funds. “The Union government stopped Rs 2 lakh crore owed to West Bengal,” he said, adding that 21 crore Indians continue to live in multidimensional poverty.
Responding to claims around the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), O’Brien alleged that 11 lakh beneficiaries under PMAY-Gramin in the state had been deprived of housing due to pending central dues of Rs 24,000 crore.
He said the state government had stepped in with its own scheme. “The West Bengal government launched ‘Banglar Bari’, providing houses to 32 lakh families with an outlay of Rs 38,000 crore,” he added, rejecting allegations of irregularities in beneficiary lists.
The BJP, however, has consistently accused the TMC government of lapses in implementing central schemes, particularly PMAY, maintaining that funds were withheld due to discrepancies in beneficiary identification.
The sharp exchange underscores the intensifying political contest between the TMC and the BJP in West Bengal, with both sides trading barbs over governance, welfare delivery and economic performance in the run-up to key electoral battles.