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Battle for Bengal's MGNREGA wages: TMC MP seeks permission for protests in Delhi
TMC MP Derek O'Brien has requested permission from Delhi Police to hold protests at three locations in Delhi over unpaid MGNREGA wages to Bengal workers.
Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien has sought permission from Delhi Police to hold demonstrations at three places in the national capital for Bengal workers who have been denied wages under the MGNREGA scheme. In three separate letters, the Rajya Sabha member wrote to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi district, asking for an update on the requests sent on August 31, days after the party claimed that the BJP-led union government had denied it permission to hold a protest rally.
The TMC leader sought permission to hold protests from 10am to 6pm on October 2-3 at Krishi Bhawan, Jantar Mantar and outside the residence of Union Minister Giriraj Singh.
“With reference to my letter dated August 31, 2023 requesting for permission for the All India Trinamool Congress to hold a dharna involving workers from the State of Bengal who have been denied wages under the MNREGA scheme from 10am to 6pm on October 2 and October 3, 2023 at 27 Lodhi Estate, outside the residence of Shri Giriraj Singh, Hon'ble Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj,” O'Brien wrote.
"We are yet to receive a response regarding the same. Request for an update at the earliest," he said.
He also wrote identical letters seeking permission to hold protests at Krishi Bhawan and Jantar Mantar.
TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee had on July 21, the party's Martyrs' Day rally, announced that the party will launch a massive protest in Delhi on Gandhi Jayanti (October 2) against the union government for blocking funds meant for Bengal under MGNREGA and other schemes.
"We had announced long ago that we would hold a protest rally on October 2 in Delhi against the central government's decision to block funds under MGNREGA. We had sent an application to Delhi Police seeking permission to hold the programme at Ram Leela Maidan. We had sought the ground from September 30 till October 4," TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said last week.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had held a two-day sit-in in Kolkata in March against the Centre's alleged move of not releasing funds to the state for MGNREGA and other welfare schemes.
