Kolkata: Ahead of July 21 Martyrs’ Day rally, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) will hold a procession in Kolkata on July 16 which will be led by Bengal Chief Minister and party supremo Mamata Banerjee. The main objective of the procession is to protest the alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking migrants outside the state.
State Finance minister and senior Trinamool Congress leader Chandrima Bhattacharya during a Press conference at Trinamool Bhavan said that Banerjee will attend the procession. She also stated that the 2-km march will start from College Square at around 2 pm and end at Dorina Crossing. Bhattacharya emphasised the seriousness of the alleged discrimination faced by Bengali residents in BJP-ruled regions, pointing to a lack of essential services and threats of NRC implementation.
Bhattacharya told reporters that the procession will see participation from various Trinamool Congress leaders and supporters from Howrah, Bhangar, Dum Dum and Salt Lake. She also stated that protest rallies will also be held in all the districts from 2 pm to 4 pm to protest the attack on Bengali identity, while highlighting the Central government’s perceived insensitivity.
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on a number of occasions recently accused the BJP of targeting Bengali-speaking citizens in states ruled by the saffron party by branding even those with valid documents as illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. She alleged that this trend is being noticed in those states that are ruled by the BJP government. If someone speaks Bengali, they are branded Bangladeshi—even if they have valid documents like Aadhaar, PAN and voter ID cards, she alleged.
Recently, Banerjee had attacked the BJP-led Assam government after a Foreigners’ Tribunal in Assam issued a notice to a farmer from Cooch Behar, Uttam Kumar Brajabashi, declaring him an alleged illegal migrant. Banerjee also termed it a “systematic assault on democracy”. She raised her voice after electricity connection was allegedly cut off to the residences of Bengali speaking people in Jai Hind Colony of Vasant Kunj in Delhi. There were reports where many migrant workers in Odisha were allegedly detained by the police and heckled.