Mamata gives ‘Delhi Chalo’ protest call, lays out campaign blueprint for LS polls

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee gave a ‘Delhi Chalo’ call for December mid-week to protest against Centre’s fund blockade for Bengal while instructing her party workers to launch full-scale protests at the block level at the beginning of next month.

Mamata was addressing a party meeting at Netaji Indoor Stadium on Thursday where she laid out a campaign blueprint for the Lok Sabha polls.

She said that when the Parliament session begins in December’s second or third week, she will seek time from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for discussion. If she is refused then she will take to the streets of Delhi with her party leaders for protest, Banerjee said.

Making their attendance compulsory at the Assembly, Mamata asked her party MLAs to stage a two-hour protest on all three days of the session (November 28, 29 and 30) in front of the Ambedkar statue, demanding due funds for Bengal.

She asked her party workers to carry out a full-scale protest rally at booth level on December 2 and 3. “If required you can induct new members into the party after checking their background.

You can seek permission from Subrata Bakshi (party state president) since Abhishek (Banerjee) is not keeping well” she ordered. Abhishek, the national general secretary of the party, attended the meeting virtually.

Party leaders Mala Roy and Chandrima Bhattacharya were made chairman and president, respectively, of the Mahila (Women) Congress which will now also include the “Banga Janani’ brigade of the party. She stressed on greater participation of the youth wing of the

party.

Mamata instructed that workers must ensure that the names of migrant labourers are also inducted into the voter list. December 9 is the last day for enrollment. Conduct a door-to-door survey to ensure this, she asserted. “Ensure no voter’s name gets excluded. Those that cannot fill up voter forms, take them to the BDO office. If BDO is absent, send a written complaint to the district magistrate,” she ordered.

She also asked the workers to inform the people about the development by the state government and warned that the BJP is allegedly sending workers to booth level trying to bribe the voters.

With several TMC leaders facing CBI and ED probes for alleged corruption, and some of the state Cabinet ministers behind bars, Mamata questioned the BJP government at the Centre about what it plans to do after three months when it loses power post Parliamentary elections.

“When you (BJP) lose, these same ED and CBI officers will come after you,” she remarked. Accusing the Modi government of corruption, she said: “You have ordered planes from foreign countries. Questions will arise over the deal. How much money did you make?”

Mamata also threatened that she would now start arresting BJP leaders in Bengal against whom there are criminal complaints. She accused the Modi government of saffronising everything in the country, including sports. She remarked that had India played the World Cup final in Kolkata or Mumbai, they would have won. “Metro stations, stadiums and even toilets are now being saffronised by them (BJP),” she remarked.

Alleging that the BJP and CPI(M) have colluded to defame the state government, she said that the Left must not comment on development and accused the CPI(M) of the recent murder of the TMC worker at Joynagar.

She also indicated that the onus of stopping the smuggling of coal and cattle lies with the Central government as its agencies are responsible for producing and safekeeping of the dry fuel and guarding the international border.

“Coal India Limited (CIL) is run by the Centre. Coal mines are guarded by CISF, which is a central force. The border is also guarded by the BSF,” Banerjee said, implying that the onus of illegal mining and smuggling lay with the Central government.

Banerjee added: “Cows for smuggling to Bangladesh are brought from different states, including UP. Who takes the cut there?”