DA hike demand: On the 100th day of protest, govt staff take out rally near Mamata residence

Scores of people, holding banners and raising slogans, thronged the streets against the state government, demanding for a hike in dearness allowance along with making the contractual employees’s jobs permanent.

A large police contingent was deployed in the area. Barricades were set up in front of Kalighat Fire Station, near the CM’s residence.

Forum convener Bhaskar Ghosh said, “There is no democracy in the state where the government employees have to stage protests in the streets for their rights. We are taking out this rally in a road where no one was allowed to do so previously and we are taking out this rally after getting permission from the Calcutta High Court. We went to CM’s office, but she didn’t meet us and we finalised this route because we want to meet CM Mamata Banerjee in her residential office.”

“Our protest is intensifying day after day and we are going to intensify our protest in the upcoming days by staging protests at work,” Ghosh added.

Saket Kumar Jha, member of the employees’ forum said, “This protest is on the 100th day of our stir against the state government like TMC ‘Nabo Jowar’ in the state. The employees are going to bring the ‘Nabo Jowar’. It has been 100 days since we began protesting, but the government has got not even a day to sit with us and discuss our demands. This rally is historic We are fighting this and we are going to continue this until our demands get fulfilled.

Many opposition leaders, including Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, Congress leader Kaustav Bagchi, former TMC MLA Sonali Guha took part in the demonstration.

Addressing the rally, opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari said, “You are showing what a fight is and this is just the beginning. CM and his bhaipo is getting more and more income. This forum has completed 100 days of protest in Shahid Minar and this forum has upheld the skeleton-like-structure of this state to the country.”

Taking a dig at TMC, Adhikari added “This forum is holding this rally in front of the house of ‘coal-bhaipo’, a swindler who doesn’t consume money but coal, rocks and sand.Voters will decide who the winner is. Before asking for votes for your party, you have to say ‘No vote to Mamata’ and ‘No vote to Mamata’.”

“They are selling jobs. As a recognised leader of the opposition, I will stand beside those people who would be attacked by the ruling party. You will all constantly stage protests in your work and you don’t have to cause mayhem. You have to stage non-cooperation movements and strikes. Stage protests against the state government who want this government to step down. We will end all the games of CM Mamata Banerjee,” added Adhikari.

Former deputy speaker and TMC MLA Sonali Guha, who joined the BJP after the 2021 Bengal polls, also hit out at the Mamata Banerjee-led government. Guha said, “Mamata Banerjee once said that if DA is not given on par with that at the Central level, this government does not need to exist. Please remember that and give DA at the central rate. If not, you should leave West Bengal.”