Kolkata, Feb 18,2023: The rampant corruption of Trinamool Congress in all spheres is actually helping BJP to emerge as a stronger, better and largely acceptable alternative in West Bengal, Union Minister for Education and Skill Development, Dharmendra Pradhan, said here on Saturday.

With reference to the multi-crore teachers’ recruitment scam, Pradhan said that it is unfortunate that in a state which was once considered as the holy land of goddess Saraswati, a scam of such magnitude has taken place in the education sector.

Pradhan is visiting the state as a part of BJP’s ongoing exercise wherein top central leaders and Union ministers will make periodic tours to Bengal with an eye on the upcoming panchayat polls and next year’s general elections.

On Saturday, Pradhan visited the famous Boonah temple in the city to offer prayers on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri, where he interacted with mediapersons.

“The most heinous sin of the state government is indulging in corruption in the education sector in this holy land blessed by Maa Saraswati. From teacher’s appointment to implementation of the mid-day meal, there has been rampant corruption everywhere. They do not worship the goddess of learning. Rather, they consider the doddess as a medium to indulge in corruption and earn money. The people of West Bengal will never forgive Trinamool. Investigation will reveal everything,” Pradhan said.

Claiming that because of this rampant corruption, the BJP is emerging as a stronger, better and largely acceptable alternative in the state, the Union minister said that the excitement over the saffron force in the state is much more presently than what it was before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

“That is why we are coming to the state more regularly than before,” he said.

Reacting to Pradhan’s comments, Trinamool spokesman Kunal Ghosh said the Union government should first comment on the corruption in the education sector in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh.

“The Enforcement Directorate is investigating the matter there. It is the biggest ever scam in the country’s education sector. The rankings of the universities in West Bengal are among the best in the country,” Ghosh said.