TMC basic secretary Abhishek Banerjee and several other different get together leaders have been detained on Tuesday evening after they held a dharna on the Union Rural Growth Ministry workplace right here demanding a gathering with the minister.
The event got here because the tug-of-war between the Centre and the West Bengal authorities over the discharge of funds to the state intensified with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) holding protests within the nationwide capital for the second consecutive day.
Banerjee, together with get together lawmakers, state ministers and supporters together with MGNREGA staff, protested at Jantar Mantar right here, a day after they held a two-hour sit-in on the Rajghat on Mahatma Gandhi’s start anniversary earlier than being evicted by the police.
They later took out a march to the Rural Growth Ministry on the Krishi Bhavan, the place that they had an appointment with Minister of State Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti.
Nevertheless, round an hour and a half after going to the Bhavan, TMC leaders claimed that the MoS refused to satisfy them saying she wouldn’t meet greater than 5 representatives.
The TMC leaders, who had introduced with them bundles of letters addressed to the prime minister and the agricultural improvement minister, refused to go away until the MoS met them.
Led by Banerjee, a gaggle of TMC leaders sat on a dharna, which continued until round 9 pm, after which they have been detained by the police and evicted from the ministry premises.
The Trinamool Congress claimed that the telephones of some leaders have been additionally taken by the police.
Earlier, addressing the protesters at Jantar Mantar, Banerjee mentioned their get together’s elected representatives will forgo their salaries to pay MGNREGA staff and the funds will probably be made inside two months even when the Centre doesn’t pay their dues.
He additionally accused the Centre of making an attempt to stall their protest. “Yesterday they despatched round 5,000 to 10,000 police personnel, RAF and different forces to cease 50 leaders of the TMC. At the moment as nicely the variety of safety personnel right here makes it seem as if India-China struggle is occurring right here,” mentioned Banerjee, flanked by get together leaders holding placards on the stage.
“There are 70,000 elected representatives from Trinamool in Bengal. We are going to forego a month’s wage and be sure that these 2,500 folks get their cash earlier than November 30. I promise you that these folks will get their cash inside two months,” he mentioned.
He additionally mentioned the Union authorities is spending 1000’s of crores on planes and the New Parliament Constructing, however will not be paying dues to staff. The TMC chief accused the central authorities of making an attempt to threaten the protesters and mentioned regardless of all its efforts, the Centre couldn’t cease the TMC.
Lok Sabha MP from Krishnanagar Mahua Moitra alleged the Centre is accumulating taxes from West Bengal, however not giving the state’s dues. “We now have not come right here to beg however for our rights… Mamata Banerjee is preventing not just for Bengal however for the folks of your complete nation,” the firebrand chief mentioned.
The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal has accused the BJP-led NDA authorities of withholding Rs 15,000 crore in dues to the state below the Mahatma Gandhi Nationwide Rural Employment Assure Act (MGNREGA) and PM Awas Yojana.
The BJP has rejected the cost and accused the TMC of doing a “drama” in Delhi to divert consideration from the scams in West Bengal.
Demanding the discharge of funds by the Centre, West Bengal Minister of Rural Growth Pradip Mazumdar mentioned Rural Growth Minister Giriraj Singh, in a gathering with him on November 7, 2022, had assured that the funds could be launched.
“There isn’t any distinction between the poor folks of Begusarai (Giriraj Singh’s constituency) and Bengal,” Mazumdar mentioned.
On Monday, at a press convention held in his constituency Begusarai, Giriraj Singh alleged that the Centre’s cash was “siphoned off” by the state authorities. The minister mentioned over 25 lakh job playing cards have been deleted within the state and added that the Centre was considering ordering a CBI probe.
