Silent march protests TMC ‘atrocities’

Participants sported black badges and bands and masks. “This is a protest against deteriorating law and order. I have come here leaving behind my political identity. The state is to be blamed for the lawlessness here and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee cannot shake off responsibility so easily,” said the BJP leader.

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Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya said the rally will send a message to the people to demand free speech. “No Opposition supporter should be attacked and no student killed for refusing to participate in political programmes. Democratic rights of all Opposition leaders are being violated. It is encouraging to see people from BJP, CPM and Congress joining today’s rally,” he added. He added that both Mamata and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were “great speakers but not doers”.

“They promised a lot to the common man and came to power. Now, while the PM is interested in visiting foreign countries, our CM is busy spending time and money in various utsavs. Not a fraction of what they had promised has been done,” he said.

Justice (retd) Ashok Kumar Ganguly said the rally marked the beginning of a new movement. “It is encouraging to see that people have joined the rally forgetting their party affiliation. It shows that people are ready to put their foot down against state-sponsored atrocities,” he added.

Shiladitya Chadhuri, a farmer from West Midnapore district, whom Mamata had dubbed a Maoist at a rally in 2012, came out wearing a prisoner’s costume complete with a chain. “No one has got the freedom to express his opinion. We are all tied up. What was my mistake? I want to know. We want democratic rule in this state,” he said. “I want to ask the CM, when will I be able to live a normal life, without the Maoist tag, which I had earned when I asked why the price of seed was rising?” he added.

Two women from North-24 Parganas were also present at the rally to protest against the Kamduni rape.