KOLKATA: After permission for a special train was denied by railway authorities, a convoy of 39 buses left Kolkata on Saturday carrying over 2,000 job-card holders under the Centre’s rural employment guarantee scheme to the national capital, a distance of 1,600 km, for a two-day protest event to press for the Centre’s release of funds due to Bengal.
TMC sources said more buses would leave for Delhi on Saturday.
TMC’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee blamed the Centre for not providing the train and challenged the BJP saying nothing could stop the party as the protest event in the national capital wold be successful.
“If the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh administration tries to stop our supporters travelling in buses, the people of Bengal will give a befitting reply to the saffron camp in the coming elections and the TMC, too, will not tolerate if any of our party worker is attacked. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to snatch Bengal’s rights to protest,” he said.
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Abhishek addressed the party workers virtually before they left for Delhi.
All MPs and senior leaders of the TMC have been directed to be present in Delhi by Sunday afternoon where Abhishek will hold a meeting with them. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was initially scheduled to attend the protest, will not participate as she was advised 10 days of rest by doctors after an old knee injury gave her problems during her recent foreign trips.
Initially, the party decided to hire a special train to transport the party workers to Bengal but the railway authorities on Friday informed that they would not be able to provide the rake because of unavailability of coaches.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) summoned Abhishek asking him to turn up at the central agency’s office on October 3 in connection with its probe into alleged irregularities in recruitment in state-aided primary schools. Challenging the ED’s summons, Abhishek said he would participate in the protest, adding “stop me if you can”.
“The BJP is deliberately creating roadblocks to stop our protest programme. First, they didn’t allow us permission for Ram Leela Maidan, then I was sent a notice to appear before the ED on that day, and now the refusal of a special train at the last moment. But all their efforts to stop us from going to Delhi will prove futile,” said Abhishek.
