Delhi Chalo protest: Abhishek flies to Delhi with kin of wall-collapse victims

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who flew to Delhi on Sunday evening with the kin of deceased individuals who died in mud wall collapse in Bishnupur, told the media at the Kolkata airport that he is carrying about 100 complaint letters pertaining to alleged corruption in Central government schemes in the BJP-ruled states and yet funds there were not stopped.

Abhishek took along with him in the flight the kin of the deceased persons who died due to mud wall collapse in Bishnupur. Banerjee said that despite their grief these persons were ready to go to Delhi with him to join the protest. “The deaths could have been averted had the funds for Awas Yojana been released by the Centre,” he remarked.

Meanwhile, a meeting comprising all TMC leaders who flew to Delhi was convened by the party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee at the residence of MP Saugata Roy in the national capital on Sunday evening.

Sources said the meeting concerned discussion on the arrangements for the October 2 event at Raj Ghat where the party would be observing Satyagraha as an act of protest against Centre’s fund blockade.

He pointed out that despite TMC losing in Bishnupur in both Lok Sabha and state elections, the people of the constituency were not deprived of state government schemes. Further, he said that public interest litigations (PIL) have now become “political interest litigations”.

“Why can’t the Opposition parties file a PIL in court relating to the fund blockade?” he questioned.

Abhishek said: “I received about 100 letters containing complaints pertaining to corruption in funds relating to Central government schemes in BJP-ruled-states. How come the funds were not stopped there? This shows that BJP has only blocked funds for Bengal due to their debacle in the state elections.”

He said that earlier when the TMC raised the issue of fund blockade, the Centre said it was because it received complaints of corruption relating to the funds. “Why don’t they then investigate and bring the accused to the book instead of depriving more than two crore job card holders?” he questioned.

Banerjee alleged that BJP’s Bengal unit president Sukanta Majumdar had recently remarked that there is no need for protests and that funds will be made available by the Centre if he makes one phone call. “This shows that funds are being withheld deliberately. We will recall the BJP leader’s remark to the Union Panchayat minister. It is clear that Bengal is being deprived because of political reasons. For the plight of crores of job card holders in Bengal, the state’s BJP leaders and Union Panchayat minister Giriraj Singh should be arrested,” he opined.

He alleged that the state government had already submitted the certificates for utilisation of funds and sent the list of beneficiaries to the Centre last year and yet no funds were released. “They (Centre) collect Rs 1 lakh crore from Bengal through taxes but the state is deprived of Rs 1.15 lakh crore of rightful funds. If they think that they can suppress Trinamool, then they are wrong. We will emerge with more strength. Despite using the Delhi Police, cancelling trains and flights, nothing can stop our movement,” he remarked.

Abhishek said all are welcome to join the movement irrespective of their political parties. “This is the fight for the rights of the deprived people. They do not have to support our party but they should support the people. We should all be fighting together raising our voices for the people,” Abhishek said.