• Source:JND
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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday lashed out at the Centre for allegedly withholding funds from the state while extending a Rs 4,850 crore Line of Credit to the Maldives. Speaking from Bolpur in Birbhum district, Banerjee launched the 'Bhasha Andolan' (Language Movement), declaring that she would "give up her life, but not allow anyone to snatch her language," as reported by PTI.

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Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she asked, “When you visit Arab nations and hug the sheikhs, do you ask whether they are Hindus or Muslims?” Referring to Modi's recent visit to the Maldives, she added, “Did you ask the Maldivian president his religion before giving Rs 5,000 crore, while Bengal is denied its rightful dues?” Banerjee also condemned alleged discrimination against Bengali-speaking migrants and accused the Centre and Election Commission of trying to push the NRC in Bengal through indirect means.

The Chief Minister further alleged that the Centre was unleashing “linguistic terror” and firmly stated she would never allow the construction of detention camps in the state.

"We will stop this conspiracy to jeopardise our existence in the name of linguistic terror and attempt to implement NRC by the backdoor," Banerjee said, according to PTI.

"I won't allow the implementation of NRC or the building of detention camps in Bengal," Mamata added.

PM Modi Extended Line Of Credit (LoC) Worth Rs 4,850 Crore To Maldives

During his two-day visit to the Maldives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed India’s commitment to the island nation’s development through a broad-based partnership. A key outcome of the visit was the signing of a Rs 4,850 crore Line of Credit (LoC) agreement to support major infrastructure and development projects.

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Additionally, an amendatory agreement was signed to ease the Maldives’ annual debt repayments on earlier Indian LoCs, offering further financial relief. The two countries also formally launched talks on the India-Maldives Free Trade Agreement (IMFTA) to boost economic cooperation. To commemorate 60 years of diplomatic ties, a joint stamp was released.