Abhishek Banerjee asks TMC workers to unite against Oppn parties

Trinamool Youth Congress president Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday warned people against " CPIM in disguise and lotus covered BJP" and urged them to unitedly fight and defeat CPIM, BJP, Congress along with all political parties pitted against Trinamool Congress in the forthcoming Panchayat election.

"Be cautious about CPIM and BJP as they have united to stall development projects taken up by Mamata Banerjee," he said adding " Do not allow CPIM and BJP to come near your house."

Banerjee was addressing a mammoth rally at Diamond Harbour on Sunday afternoon. This was the youth leader's first public rally since October 2016 when he was injured in a car crash on his way to Kolkata after attending a party meeting in Murshidabad.

Banerjee kicked off the campaign for the Panchayat election scheduled to be held in 2018. He thanked senior party leaders of South 24 Parganas and thousands of people who had gathered in the meeting for praying for him and giving him unflinching support when he was ill and out of action for six months.

He said BJP was talking about development on the one hand and drastically reducing money earmarked for various projects in Bengal. " Money for ICDS programmes, mid-day meal projects has been stopped and BJP is unleashing the ED and CBI in a bid to cripple the Bengal government." He maintained that demonetization had affected the economy very badly and 150 people died all over the country as an effect. But, the Centre did not make even a condolence reference in Parliament when requested by Derek O' Brien.

Partha Chatterjee, secretary general of Trinamool Congress said " Those who believe that by sending 40 leaders from Delhi they will be able to defeat Mamata Banerjee are actually living in a fool's paradise. She had to struggle for many years to win the confidence of people."

He urged panchayat members to go and build contacts with the people. " We should carry on the projects taken up by Mamata Banerjee," he said. Party MP Derek O' Brien and other leaders from South 24 Parganas also spoke at the meeting.