Trinamool Congress (TMC) announced on Sunday that its chairperson Mamata Banerjee and national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee will hold a mega rally on March 10 at Brigade Parade Ground in protest against the Centre’s fund blockade for Bengal. On Sunday, Abhishek Banerjee uploaded a poster on his X handle with the slogan “Khela Hobe”. The poster revealed that a public meeting will be organised at the Brigade Parade Ground on March 10 under the taglines ‘Jana Garjon Sabha’ (roar of the mass) and ‘Brigade Chalo’. Both Mamata and Abhishek are expected to speak at the meeting which most probably will officially kick-off the starting of campaigns for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The meeting will witness both the leaders speak against the Centre’s fund blockade for Bengal which has deprived lakhs of MGNREGA 100 day workers in Bengal of their wages, besides leaving many homeless who were promised shelters under the PM Awas Yojana. On Sunday, during an event, Abhishek said about one lakh sixty thousand crore funds approximately have been withheld by the Central government.
He also highlighted how the Chief Minister of Bengal met the Prime Minister requesting disbursal of funds while also pointing out how the TMC delegation led by him were subjected to alleged police atrocities at Krishi Bhavan in Delhi.
Abhishek pointed out that the Chief Minister has now decided to clear the wages of 100 day workers by March 1. “Initially, the Chief Minister promised to pay by February 21. The number of estimated workers was then 21,75,000. However, later, on checking with the Central government portal, it was learnt that the total number of registered workers were 59 lakh approximately. This caused a minor delay but the payments will be made via direct bank transfer by March 1,” he said.
He called the BJP “oppressors”, “anti-Bengal”, “outsiders” and “zamindars”. “We have to remove the zamindars from Delhi in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections,” Abhishek asserted. Such a meeting also gains significance in the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled public meetings in Bengal from March 1. On this, Abhishek said: “Narendra Modi is the country’s PM and can visit any place. But after the 2021 Assembly elections, did he hold any meetings for the benefit of the people in Arambagh, Barasat, or Krishnanagar? Let alone the PM and Home Minister (Amit Shah), was there any Central minister or Minister of State, who held a meeting for the welfare of the people in these constituencies in the past 2.5 years? Why does their activity begin only when elections are near? He is coming here only because he wants power. Does this mean he has no value for the lives of our people? Did he even make a phone call for the deprived MGNREGA & Awas beneficiaries? No. After the elections, they are nowhere to be seen.
It is Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool representatives who are on the ground during times of need”.