Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee.
Credit: PTI File Photo
A Trinamool rally in Kolkata on Thursday transformed into an indefinite dharna outside the Governor's residence.
The party intends to continue the sit-in protest until Governor CV Ananda Bose personally meets its delegation. The delegation aims to present the grievances of "deprived" beneficiaries of Centre's schemes, especially the 100-day rural job and housing schemes.
"We want two clarifications from the Bengal governor. Have 20 lakh workers from Bengal worked under MGNREGA, or not? If yes, what law has been used to withhold their wages for the past two years?" said Trinamool's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, addressing the gathering outside Raj Bhavan following a mega-rally with supporters.
A day earlier, on Wednesday, Banerjee had mentioned the planned "Raj Bhavan Cholo" program for Thursday, during which 50 lakh letters from "deprived" beneficiaries were to be submitted to the governor. Accordingly, Trinamool supporters held a rally in the heart of Kolkata and reached Raj Bhavan.
On Thursday, the party stated that a letter was sent to Governor Bose on Wednesday, requesting an appointment to discuss the issue of the Centre's freeze on funds.
The party revealed that in response to the governor's message that he is "unavailable," its Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien, in an email, requested a meeting once the governor returns to Kolkata after completing his visit to North Bengal. "However, it is deeply troubling that in his initial response, the Governor suggested that the delegation could travel to North Bengal and meet him in one of the circuit houses or relief camp," stated a Trinamool tweet.
"We will continue our peaceful agitation here. I will stay here and will not budge even an inch until the honorable governor meets our delegation and answers these two questions," added Banerjee.
Before the protest rally on Thursday, Trinamool leaders conducted a two-day program in the national capital. The first day included a sit-in at Rajghat, followed by a meeting at Jantar Mantar in the presence of "deprived" beneficiaries who had traveled to the capital by bus from Bengal. On Tuesday evening, Trinamool representatives failed to meet Union Minister of State for Rural Development Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, as planned. Both sides later blamed each other for the meeting not taking place.
Over the past few days, the Trinamool's political activities have been led by Abhishek Banerjee while party chief Mamata Banerjee has been advised bed rest following a knee injury sustained during her visit to Spain and the UAE.