No time to waste, hit the streets against BJP: Abhishek Banerjee to TMC leaders

Addressing TMC MPs, MLAs and workers in a virtual meeting on Friday, the Diamond Harbour MP said, “There’s no time to wait, hit the streets against BJP now.”

“Abhishek Banerjee told workers that the BJP was trying to create unrest in Sandeshkhali. He said they are doing drama in Sandeshkhali, but are silent on Chopra where four children lost their lives due to the negligence of the BSF…Do those kids’ lives hold no value? Our delegation met the Governor and urged him to visit Chopra. He is yet to go there. When the BJP delegation visited him, he went to Sandeshkhali within 24 hours. It shows where his priorities are.”

On February 12, four children had died after a mound of soil caved in during drainage expansion by the BSF in Uttar Dinajpur’s Chopra. The TMC alleged negligence on the part of the BSF and said the incident occurred during the digging and deepening of a drain which was being done illegally under the directions of BSF and without any sanctioned plan or consent of the competent authorities. Denying the TMC’s charge, the BSF in a statement said it was civilians who were carrying out digging work with a JCB machine at the spot where the incident took place.

Sources in the TMC said that Abhishek also criticised the Lok Sabha Privileges Committee’s summon to West Bengal Chief Secretary BP Gopalika and other senior officers on a complaint filed by BJP MP Sukanta Majumdar after he was injured during a rally organised by his party in Basirhat over the Sandeshkhali issue. The Balurghat MP sustained injuries when he fell on the bonnet of a van during a scuffle with the police at Taki in North 24 Parganas district on Wednesday while trying to march towards Sandeshkhali. He had alleged “misconduct, brutality and life-threatening injuries”.

“Abhishek also questioned what the Parliamentary Committee was doing when our MPs were assaulted. Our women MPs were dragged by their hair and were assaulted by the Delhi police,” said the leader. In October last year, TMC leaders led by Abhishek, had sat on a dharna in New Delhi over the issue of Bengal’s pending funds.

According to party leaders, the Diamond Harbour MP said the TMC will hold ‘help desk” camps across the state from March 18-25. More than 3,300 camps will be held to prepare lists of the MGNREGA and PM Awas Yojana beneficiaries, who haven’t received funds. “He said the camps will not be organised by the government but by the party. We will prepare lists of names whose payments are due,” TMC leaders said.

“Abhishek told party leaders that TMC won’t bow down to the Centre and that no one can deprive Bengal,” they added.