NEW DELHI: Trinamool Congress common secretary Abhishek Banerjee together with get together leaders and employees sat on a dharna on the Rajghat right here on Mahatma Gandhi’s delivery anniversary on Monday demanding the discharge of funds for West Bengal by the Centre. The Lok Sabha member, accompanied by get together leaders together with MPs, MLAs and state ministers who had arrived from West Bengal, paid tributes to Gandhi on the memorial and held the protest for 2 hours, sporting black armbands and displaying placards, after which they have been escorted out by safety personnel.
“They’re scared that’s the reason they’re doing this… They speak about being a giant get together, however it’s now seen that they’re scared,” Banerjee advised media individuals outdoors Rajghat earlier than he and different TMC protesters have been requested to clear the realm. The TMC lashed out on the central authorities for “stopping” it from holding a “peaceable protest” and alleged that the protesters have been heckled and manhandled by the safety personnel.
The BJP hit again accusing the TMC of committing theft of presidency funds. Union Minister Anurag Thakur alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has despatched her get together leaders beneath a “corrupt and tainted” MP to stage the protest to divert the general public consideration from the “quite a few scams” that came about in her state.
At a press convention, Thakur dismissed TMC’s allegations that the state’s funds have been being withheld and claimed there was no scarcity of cash for the centrally-sponsored schemes in West Bengal. The BJP additionally fielded its state leaders, together with unit president Sukanta Majumdar, Union minister Subhas Sarkar and MP Locket Chatterjee, who accused TMC of doing a “drama” in Delhi.
Majumdar made mild of Abhishek Banerjee’s cost that the BJP has been attempting to scuttle his get together’s protests, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not that idle to focus on a “petty chief” such because the TMC’s inheritor obvious. Abhishek Banerjee later visited Lal Bahadur Shastri’s memorial Vijay Ghat and paid tributes to the previous prime minister on his delivery anniversary.
At Gandhi’s samadhi, Banerjee held a placard demanding that the Centre “launch fund for Bengal”. One other placard learn ‘Bengal Disadvantaged: 1 lakh 15 thousand crore households, Rs. 15,000 crore owed’. The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal has accused the BJP-led NDA authorities of withholding Rs 15,000 crore in dues to the state beneath the Mahatma Gandhi Nationwide Rural Employment Assure Act (MGNREGA) and PM Awas Yojana.
The demonstration was held for about two hours, after which the TMC leaders have been escorted out by safety personnel. Banerjee addressed the media outdoors Raj Ghat however loudspeakers have been utilized by police to ask the TMC leaders and supporters to maneuver out of the realm. “Our leaders peacefully protesting for the rights of the folks have been abruptly requested to go away by the police. All Shri Abhishek Banerjee requested for was ten minutes, however was ungracefully refused. What’s the BJP-led Central Authorities petrified of?” the Trinamool Congress stated in a put up on X (previously Twitter).
In addition they shared a video of a police official asking the TMC leaders to go away. The get together leaders alleged that derogatory remarks have been made by an IPS officer concerning the peaceable protest and that ladies leaders have been “manhandled” by police. “It’s deeply disheartening to witness such an absence of respect for the democratic course of and the voices of the folks beneath the BJP-led central authorities,” Trinamool Congress stated in a put up on X.
“Elevating our voice for folks’s rights is labelled as Tamasha. On Gandhi Jayanti, all we sought was a peaceable dharna for the betterment of our folks. Nonetheless, the anti-people BJP-led central authorities selected to silence us,” the get together alleged. Chatting with the media earlier than leaving the realm, Banerjee stated the BJP authorities is “scared”.
The TMC leaders and supporters will stage a protest at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday over the problem. The get together claimed that over 50 lakh letters have been introduced by the protesters from West Bengal which are addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the non-payment of dues. TMC sources stated letters will even be introduced from BJP-ruled Assam, Goa, Tripura and Meghalaya highlighting alleged corruption in central schemes.
Biswajit Dev, a spokesperson of the Trinamool Congress and member of the get together’s state committee, accused the Centre of destroying the agricultural employment scheme MGNREGA and stated it is an insult to Mahatma Gandhi, after whom the scheme has been named. “Is that this democracy? Centre is utilizing schemes for political advantages,” he alleged. “That is an insult to the poor folks and to Mahatma Gandhi after whom MNREGA has been named,” Dev advised PTI.
Chaiti Barman Barua, a TMC chief from Coochbihar, stated they’ve come to Delhi to make their voice heard. Pleasure Banerjee, who got here from Purulia in West Bengal, alleged that the numerous trains and flights on which the TMC leaders have been scheduled to journey to Delhi have been cancelled. “We’re right here to make our voices heard by the Centre, not for any confrontation. Why is the BJP so apprehensive?” he stated.
TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee was scheduled to attend the programme in New Delhi, however is unlikely to take action as she has been suggested ten days of relaxation by docs after she suffered an damage in her left knee throughout a latest journey to Spain and Dubai. The chief minister held a two-day sit-in in March this 12 months in opposition to the Centre’s alleged transfer of “not releasing funds” to the state for MGNREGA and different welfare schemes. Union Minister Anurag Thakur focused the TMC saying its leaders “have come to Delhi beneath the management of a tainted get together MP, who himself is accused of a number of corruption.