Mamata Banerjee  |  Photo Credit: ANI
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday took to Twitter to express shock over the freezing of all bank accounts of the Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity organisation on Christmas Day. The TMC supremo claimed that the Centre’s decision had left the organisation’s 22,000 patients and employees without food and medicines.
“While the law is paramount, humanitarian efforts must not be compromised,” she added. The CM is slated to hold a press conference later today and is expected to speak on the issue.
Reportedly, the Home Ministry’s notice had gone to Missionaries of Charity Delhi on Christmas. The Kolkata unit of Missionaries of Charity will not be issuing any statement at this time. There has also been no official comment on the allegations from the Centre.
The claim has also been echoed by CPI(M) leader Surjya Kanta Mishra who took to Twitter with the hashtag, ‘shocking news’ in the afternoon. “Yesterday, Christmas Day the Union Ministry froze all bank accounts of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity. The government has frozen all the accounts in India, including cash in hand. Their 22,000 patients, including employees, are left without food and medicines,” he reiterated.
Following Banerjee’s post, leaders from other parties have also expressed dismay, with Congress MP Shashi Tharoor dubbing the situation “disgraceful” and “shocking”. “When Mother Teresa wins a Nobel Prize, India rejoices. When her organisation serves the poor and destitute, the government cuts off their funding,” he added.