Cooch Behar: While Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is staging a dharna at Dharmatala in Kolkata protesting against the SIR issue, North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha on Monday launched a 24-hour hunger strike in front of the Dinhata Sub-divisional Office in Cooch Behar district.
The Trinamool Congress organised a large-scale protest on both sides of the state highway near the Dinhata Sadar Sub-divisional Office. The mass hunger strike programme has intensified the political atmosphere in the area.
Minister Udayan Guha was present at the protest and addressed party workers and supporters, strongly criticising the BJP and the Election Commission of India. Leaders and workers from various blocks under the Dinhata sub-division joined the agitation in large numbers under the minister’s leadership.
The hunger strike began at 9 a.m. on Monday and is scheduled to continue till 9 a.m. on Tuesday. During his address, Udayan Guha took a swipe at the Chief Election Commissioner of India, saying: “Vanish Kumar’s (Gyanesh Kumar) oil will no longer be useful.” He alleged that the BJP, in collusion with the Election Commission, is attempting to mislead the public on the SIR issue and bring the party to power through the back door.
Guha further said that the ongoing hunger strike in Dinhata has been organised in solidarity with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s dharna in Kolkata and to strengthen the protest movement against what the party describes as attempts to mislead voters.