Abhishek to hold virtual meets with dist party workers

Kolkata: Ahead of the ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest of Trinamool Congress (TMC) against the Centre’s fund blockade, the party’s national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, will be holding virtual meetings with party workers and leaders in all districts of the state, briefing them on the arrangements to be made to inform people how they are being allegedly deprived of their rights by the BJP-led Central government.

TMC sources said that Banerjee will soon conduct a virtual meeting before he leaves for the mega protest scheduled to be held in Delhi.

This meeting is likely to be held this week and the objective is to send to the people a “mass appeal” to join the protest.

All members of the party’s district and block committees are to be briefed by Abhishek on how they should be reaching out to the people ahead of the protest. “Wherever space is available and there is a chance of good footfall, LED screens will be installed for live viewing of the protest,” said the source.

During the Nabajowar campaign in the run-up to the rural elections in the state, Abhishek had raised his voice against the Centre’s fund blockade which has deprived lakhs of people in the rural areas of their right to earn a livelihood. Freezing of funds meant for 100-day workers, for completed works in villages, has left them without wages, Banerjee promised them he would arrange a mega protest in Delhi in days to come to fight for their rights.

Banerjee, during the campaign, was also seen explaining to people why they were deprived of shelters promised to them under Awas Yojana.

He requested people to join the protest which will further provide an impetus to movement by his party to dislodge the BJP government at the Centre in the upcoming Lok

Sabha polls.

However, presently no confirmation could be sought as to whether the party chairperson, Mamata Banerjee, will be present in Delhi in the wake of the recent injuries she is learnt to have sustained in her knee during the official Spain tour. But, sources said that she has put Abhishek in charge of the Delhi protest.

Party MPs were instructed to reach Delhi by October 1. ‘Satyagraha’ will be observed at Raj Ghat on October 2 on Gandhi Jayanti.

On October 3, Abhishek, along with other TMC leaders, is scheduled to meet the Union Panchayat minister Giriraj Singh at Krishi Bhavan to register their protest against the fund blockade.