Mamata vows to defeat BJP: Jiyeenge toh BJP ko hataake jayenge

Denied permission to protest at Rani Rashmoni Avenue, the former chief minister reached Esplanade’s Y-channel in Central Kolkata around 3 pm, with some of the senior party leaders accompanying her.

VIDEO | Kolkata, West Bengal: Former West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) leads sit-in protest over attack on Abhishek Banerjee and other party leaders.

(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/KrAydtdhG0

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“Our MLAs, councillors, and party candidates are being intimidated,” Mamata told a surging crowd of party workers amid a heavy deployment of police personnel.

Alleging a deep-rooted conspiracy orchestrated from Delhi to dismantle her party, she issued a stern warning to the BJP that such attempts would be “foiled”.

“Our MLAs are not being allowed to leave their houses, and police are asking them to quit TMC and form a “new TMC”… Who will build this new TMC? Those who have been with the party since the beginning, or those who won on the party symbol,” she asked, adding “Do not run a bulldozer over democracy… Do not scare our MLAs and MPs. Do not arrest our people. People are committing suicide due to your atrocities.”

Addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she said, “Look at whom you have given the responsibility to”. “Look at what is happening in West Bengal. You have to look into all of this,” she said, indirectly referring to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.

“Modi has left Bengal in the hands of anti-socials and bulldozer-happy politicians, pushing the state into darkness,” she added.

Vowing to defeat the BJP, the TMC supremo said all the “anti-BJP parties” would soon formulate a country-wide opposition programme. “Very soon, all anti-BJP parties will meet in Delhi,” she said, referring to the INDIA bloc’s June 8 meeting.

“I share good relations with all political parties except the BJP. However, I have also stood by those BJP members who asked for help…. Jiyeenge toh BJP ko hataake jayenge (If I remain alive, I will ensure the defeat of the BJP),” she said.

Earlier in the day, she left her Kalighat residence around 2 pm and reached Red Road, where she garlanded the statue of BR Ambedkar. She was accompanied by party leaders Madan Mitra, Kunal Ghosh, Kalyan Banerjee, Dola Sen, and Ashima Patra. From there, she headed straight to the TMC dharna manch at Y-Channel, where police were on high alert.

Hitting out at the BJP government, as well as the police, for denying permission to protest at the adjacent Rani Rashmoni Avenue, she said, “They didn’t allow us at Rani Rashmoni because they are scared.”

According to senior TMC leaders, the police sent an email at 12.30 am on Tuesday informing the party that permission would be granted only for the Y-Channel venue, which required a fresh application.

“Traitors use that road (Rani Rashmoni Avenue). The Lat Saheb (Governor) lives there. I will also see if any program is allowed on Rani Rashmoni Avenue in the future. If permission is granted there later, I will go to court,” the former CM said.

“We were not allowed to use microphones for our protest here. But they cannot stop me this way. I will sit down and protest wherever I can,” she added.

Referring to post-poll violence in the state, she said, “Elections were held in five states along with West Bengal. Why is Bengal the only state seeing such political violence and atrocities?”

Speaking using a megaphone as the police had denied permission to use loudspeakers, Mamata referred to the mob attack on TMC MP and nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, in Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas last weekend.

“Abhishek visited just two places, and they (BJP) got scared. They went to attack him. I will visit every place, and I won’t give any prior notice… Hit me if you want to hit me. But as long as I have my voice, I will not bow my head,” she said, alleging that the BJP “rigged” counting in 177 of the 294 Assembly seats to win the elections.

Asserting that she would not abandon TMC workers in “these difficult times”, she said, “I took an oath after garlanding Mahatma Gandhi’s statue that as long as these atrocities continue, I will fight back. Karange ya marange (do or die).”

At one point, she lashed out at the police for allegedly not allowing TMC supporters to enter the Y-Channel area. “Let those who are coming enter. Otherwise, Lalbazar (the headquarters of Kolkata Police) will be gheraoed. Nabanna (the state secretariat) will be gheraoed. Every police station will be gheraoed,” she warned

However, immediately after, she added, “I am not blaming the police. They are not at fault. I have also been in the administration. They listen to the ‘chair’. They do what the ‘chair’ commands.”

The protest was marked by intermittent chaos, with TMC workers shouting slogans amid the former chief minister’s speech.