Watch: BJP Leader Sukanta Majumdar Slams TMC For Distributing ₹2000 Notes To Victims Of Odisha Train Accident

West Bengal: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) West Bengal President Sukanta Majumdar criticised the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) party, accusing a West Bengal government minister of distributing monetary compensation to the families of Odisha train accident victims in Rs 2,000 currency notes, which have been withdrawn from circulation.

Majumdar posted a video on Twitter showing a family from South 24 Parganas district in Bengal holding bundles of Rs 2,000 notes, claiming they received the money as compensation for the loss of a family member in the Balasore train accident.

"A minister of the state is giving financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh to the families of the victims on behalf of the Trinamool Party on the instructions of Mamata Banerjee. I applaud. But in this context, I am also keeping this question, what is the source of the bundle of 2000 rupee notes?" he said in a tweet in Bengali.

"At present, the supply of Rs 2,000 notes in the market is low and the process of exchanging them through banks is underway. So, by giving 2000 rupees notes to helpless families, problems of the families have not been increased? Second, is this not a way for the TMC to whiten their black money?" he added.

Majumdar slams TMC over distributing Rs 2,000 notes

Majumdar questioned the state minister's initiative and the source of the Rs 2,000 notes. He also raised concerns about the decision to distribute these notes when their availability in the market is low and the process of exchanging them through banks is underway. He suggested that this move could exacerbate problems for the families and speculated whether it was a way for the TMC to convert black money into legal tender.

RBI announced withdrawal of Rs 2000 notes from circulation

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had announced the withdrawal of Rs 2,000 notes from circulation on May 19, although they continue to be legal tender. The RBI has allowed the public to deposit and exchange these notes at banks until September 30, 2023.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had previously declared that the state government would provide Rs 5 lakh each to the families of those killed in the train accident, along with Rs 1 lakh for the injured and Rs 50,000 for other victims.The triple train accident occurred at Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore district on June 2, involving the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Coromandel Express, and a goods train.