Soon, a bigger agitation in Delhi headed by Mamata: Abhishek

Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said that Tuesday’s protest demonstration in Delhi to put pressure on the BJP-led government at the Centre to clear Bengal’s dues was just a trailer and a massive movement spearheaded by Bengal Chief Minister and party supremo Mamata Banerjee will be conducted in the national capital with 50,000 to 1 lakh people.

Abhishek returned to the city on Wednesday after attending a 2-day protest in Delhi. He challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to stop Trinamool’s massive protest which will be carried out within two months, Abhishek told reporters at the airport.

“Yesterday’s incident was just a trailer. Massive protests will be held under the leadership of the Bengal Chief Minister. We will see what PM Modi and HM Shah will do,” Banerjee said.

He also challenged the Centre to publish the CCTV footage of the Krishi Bhawan incident which will show that the TMC delegation was made to wait for a long time and the Union Minister of state for Rural Development Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti left the office without meeting them.

Banerjee also said that TMC will stage a peaceful protest at Raj Bhawan on Thursday demanding the release of funds by the Centre.

He added: “Everyone’s identity cards were checked before permitting entry into Krishi Bhawan. Why were the 40 people allowed inside the Bhavan if they were not part of the delegation? All the identity cards were checked and we have a documented e-mail on the same. When our MPs went again to approach the MoS after nearly three hours at 8:45 pm, the CISF personnel told us that the Union minister left through the back door.”

The TMC MP further stated: “The people of Bengal will put an end to this Zamindari rule of the BJP which involves looting the poor people after extracting their labour and filling their own coffers.”

Challenging the Centre about the dues of job card holders, he said: “About Rs 7,000 crore of these 20 lakh people are withheld. If they think that these 20 lakh people have not worked under MGNREGA, a written document should be shared stating the same.”

He also said: “Modi’s New India is an India where killers and rapists are rewarded, garlanded, and felicitated in public programmes while honest journalists, speaking truth to power with their courage to ask the right questions, are being wrongly framed

under UAPA. You have seen what happened yesterday. This is Modi’s New India. Come what may, I believe this tyranny will end and people will give a befitting reply.”

Elaborating on the movement at the Governor’s House on Thursday, he said: “The Governor talks a lot about democracy. This is why we hope he will play a constructive role as we saw democracy being brutalised on Delhi’s streets yesterday and MGNREGA beneficiaries being dragged by Delhi Police. This is why we have given the call for Raj Bhavan Abhijan. If he refuses to meet us, we will announce our next step from there.”

While answering a question by the media on ED summoning him and his family members, Banerjee said: “They had earlier summoned my wife as well. As there has been a protection by the Supreme Court with regard to a particular case they have now served another summon in connection with a different case. If the investigating agency has any evidence against me, let them submit it to the court.”