West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the two-day sit-in that she started here on Wednesday to protest the BJP-led Union government’s alleged discriminatory attitude against the state was on behalf of her party, Trinamool Congress, and not on part of the state government.
Stating that she is doing a “double duty” (as West Bengal chief minister and TMC supremo), Banerjee showed a copy of the Constitution at the protest site and said that the demonstration is also to “save India, save democracy”.
“People were asking me whether I am demonstrating on behalf of the state government or the Trinamool Congress. I would like to tell them that I have two responsibilities. I am the CM of West Bengal and also the TMC chairperson. So, as a chief minister when I see the people of my state suffer, it’s my responsibility to look into that.
“Since this is the government of the TMC, I will say that I am conducting this demonstration on behalf of my party and not for the state government. You can see my party’s symbol,” Banerjee said from the dais. The TMC supremo commenced her sit-in in front of Dr B R Ambedkar’s statue on Red Road here earlier in the day to protest against the Centre’s alleged “stoppage” of funds to the state for MGNREGA and other schemes of the housing and road departments. Banerjee, accompanied by senior party leaders Firhad Hakim, Aroop Biswas, Subrata Bakshi, Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay and Chandrima Bhattacharya, reached the venue around noon.
