West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee began a two-day dharna on Wednesday to protest the BJP-led federal government’s claimed “anti-people policies.” at the Ambedkar statue in Kolkata.
CM Mamata is protesting the Central government’s “anti-people policies” and claimed its failures to provide funding for West Bengal. A protest by Trinamool Congress MPs to “Save Democracy, Federalism, and Parliament” was held earlier in the day near the Ambedkar statue within the Parliament.
Party leader and TMC MP, Derek O’Brien tweeted, “#Parliament has been cut short by the @narendramodi govt for 8 sessions in a row. TMC @AITCofficial flagging this for a while. Persistence pays! This (non) Session will run its course till April 6, but govt MPs themselves disrupting Parliament so Oppn can’t speak”.
In a major development, the TMC backed Rahul Gandhi and Congress over his disqualification and joined the Congress meeting on March 27 in the Parliament building.
The opposition parties which participated in the meeting include DMK, Samajwadi Party, JD(U), Bharat Rashtra Samithi, CPI(M), RJD, Nationalist Congress Party, CPI, IUML, MDMK, Kerala Congress, TMC, RSP, AAP, J-K NC and Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction).
TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has been a critic of the BJP, supported Rahul Gandhi.
“In PM Modi’s New India, Opposition leaders have become the prime target of the BJP! While BJP leaders with criminal antecedents are inducted into the cabinet, Opposition leaders are disqualified for their speeches. Today, we have witnessed a new low for our constitutional democracy,” the TMC Supremo had earlier said.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge welcomed TMC’s move to participate in the meeting stating that anyone who comes forward to “protect democracy” is welcome.
“I thank everyone who supported this. That is why, I thanked everyone yesterday and I thank them today as well. We welcome anyone who comes forward to protect democracy and Constitution and safeguard the people. We extend heartfelt gratitude to the people who support us,” Kharge said.
