Bypolls: Mamata demands scrapping of the farm laws, visits Gurdwara

KOLKATA: During her visit to Gurdwara Sant Kutiya on Harish Mukherjee Road as a part of the door-to-door campaign for Bhowanipore bypolls, Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday demanded the immediate withdrawal of the draconian farm laws.

She said she had spoken to the leaders of the farmers, who are agitating at the Singhu border, several times. A team comprising TMC MPs was sent to meet them. Rakesh Tikait, a leader of the farmers, had come to Kolkata and met her.

TMC is against the laws that have affected the interests of the farmers badly and will continue to support them.

Banerjee also spoke to the members of the Sikh community, who had gathered at the Gurdwara, during her campaign. Banerjee recollected the long association of Bengal and Punjab during the freedom struggle. "If one visits the Cellular Jail in Andaman, one finds that the majority of the revolutionaries who had been hanged were either from Bengal or Punjab," she said. Banerjee mentioned her long association with the Punjabi community and said she had taken part in the birth anniversaries of Guru Nanak Ji and Guru Gobind Singhji.

The Sikh community in Bhowanipore has been wholeheartedly backing Mamata Banerjee since Trinamool Congress came to power in 2011. The priests and the members of the Gurdwara Sant Kutiya have maintained very cordial relations with her. She has also reciprocated with them.

She offered "special chaddar," which was placed on the shrine. She said Rujira, Abhishek Banerjee's wife, who hails from the Punjabi community often visits the Gurdwara to offer prayers.

Door-to-door campaign by Trinamool Congress in Bhowanipore is being conducted in full swing. Satchidananda Banerjee led the campaign in areas surrounding Lansdown market in the morning.

Sandip Bakshi, coordinator of ward 72, carried out the campaign in the area.

In the evening, street corner meetings were held. These were addressed by Partha Chatterjee, Trinamool Congress secretary general and Debangshu Bhattacharya, among others. Debashis Kumar, MLA from Rashbehari Assembly constituency and south Kolkata district president of Trinamool Congress said: "The leaders and workers are canvassing for 'didi' to ensure that she wins with a record margin."

There are more than two lakh voters in Bhowanipore and 288 polling stations.