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TMC arranges buses to ferry supporters, job card holders to join protest in Delhi
The TMC has arranged 50 buses at the last minute to ferry the people after the eastern railway authorities turned down a request by the TMC to arrange a special train from Howrah
A few thousand Trinamool Congress (TMC) supporters, left Kolkata for Delhi on Saturday to attend a two-day protest in the national capital on October 2 and 3 to protest the Union government’s “denial of funds” for welfare schemes in West Bengal.
The TMC and its supporters are demanding the release of funds by the Centre to the beneficiaries in West Bengal of the various schemes such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).
The party arranged 50 buses at the last minute to ferry the people after the eastern railway authorities turned down a request by the TMC to arrange a special train from Howrah. A large number of TMC workers and job card holders will travel by bus to Delhi. According to the party, over 4,000 people will travel to the national capital on October 2 to participate in the demonstration.
TMC spokesman Kunal Ghosh told the media on Saturday that even a private flight carrying more than 100 TMC supporters, was cancelled on Saturday afternoon.
TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who is expected to lead the protest, has asked the party MPs, state ministers, legislators and other senior leaders to remain present in Delhi on October 2.
“TMC MPs and state ministers will hold a two-hour-long peaceful sit-in demonstration at Raj Ghat on October 2. On October 3, there will be a demonstration at Jantar Mantar. We will announce our future plans on how to intensify this protest from Delhi. Around 5 million letters written by job-card holders who have been deprived of their wages have been sent to the Prime Minister,” said Banerjee in a video message shared by the TMC.
In another virtual address to party workers and leaders, Banerjee also dared the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to stop the agitation if it could.
“The fight against the deprivation of WB and its rightful dues shall persist regardless of the obstacles. No force on Earth can hinder my dedication to fight for the people of WB and their fundamental rights. I’ll b in Delhi joining the protest on Oct 2nd & 3rd. STOP ME IF U CAN!” the TMC general secretary posted on X.
The West Bengal government has been alleging that the BJP-led central government has stopped funds to the state under multiple schemes, including Rs.7000 crore under the MGNREGA and more than Rs.8000 crore under the PMAY schemes, since December 2021.
The Centre owes more than Rs.1.15 lakh crore to the state, TMC leaders have claimed.
The TMC was earlier denied permission to use the Ramlila Maidan for a sit-in demonstration between September 30 and October 4 by the police.
Later, it sought permission to hold demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, on Lodhi Road, outside the residence of Union minister Giriraj Singh, and outside the Krishi Bhavan.
The buses carrying TMC leaders, supporters and job card holders are expected to reach Delhi on Tuesday.
“We will hold the protest. Let’s see who can stop us. You may hit the TMC MPs and ministers but even if one poor farmer receives a scratch on their body during their stay in Delhi, people know how to give a befitting reply democratically,” Banerjee said earlier.
Earlier, Banerjee took a dig at the central government following his summon by the ED on October 3, the same day when the TMC is scheduled to hold the agitation against pending dues from the central government.
The Enforcement Directorate summoned the TMC MP on October 3 for questioning in the multi-crore recruitment scam in schools. Banerjee has said he would skip the summon to attend the Delhi protest.
“They (BJP) are frightened of Abhishek and that’s why they are using central agencies to try to stop him. We are enjoying this,” Kunal Ghosh, TMC spokesperson, told the media.
“Why would the ED call him on a particular date on which he is not available? It is a court-monitored probe and the investigating agency may summon him whenever needed,” West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar told reporters.
Meanwhile, refuting the allegations that BJP is cancelling trains so that TMC workers cannot attend protests in Delhi on Sunday, Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, said that TMC is lying. “Such allegations are false and politically motivated. TMC has chartered flights, they should use them to send their workers to Delhi,” he said.
