After CBI questioning, TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee resumes mass outreach programme

Bankura: Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Monday resumed his mass outreach campaign from Bankura district in West Bengal, which was suspended for two days after he was summoned by CBI in connection with the teacher recruitment scam last week.

Banerjee on Friday, while returning to Kolkata after being summoned to the CBI office in the city for questioning on May 20, had announced that he would resume the campaign “Trinamool-e Nabojowar” (new wave in Trinamool) from Monday.

“Mega comeback! On Day 26 of #JonoSanjogYatra, Shri @abhishekaitc led a massive roadshow in Kotulpur, surrounded by love and support. Motivated by people’s belief in #TrinamooleNaboJowar and with our heads held high, the journey of grassroots empowerment continues,” the TMC tweeted.

Without naming anyone, the party, in an apparent reference to BJP and CBI summons, said the tactics to scare the party won’t deter the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress.

“Their scare tactics can’t deter us! Terrified of people’s growing support for Shri @abhishekaitc-led #TrinamooleNaboJowar, they tried to derail #JonoSanjogYatra. ‘Unfortunately’ for them, all in vain. With people’s love, we are coming back stronger than ever,” it said.

Unlike other days, the TMC national general secretary did not address any rallies on Monday. Instead, he conducted two marches as part of the mass connect programme at Indus and Kotulpur areas in the tribal-dominated Bankura district and spoke to common people.

Party supporters gathered on both sides of the road cheered, as he waved. At times, he also shook hands with them.

According to party sources, the Diamond Harbour MP is likely to speak at a convention in the district late on Monday night.

Leading the mass outreach programme organised ahead of the panchayat elections from the front, Banerjee is crisscrossing the entire state starting from Cooch Behar district on April 25. He is seeking feedback from the common people on their preferable candidates, whom the party will nominate in the polls.

The CBI officers had questioned Abhishek Banerjee, considered number two in the party, for more than nine hours on Saturday.

Banerjee had told newspersons that the questioning was a waste of time for both him and the investigative agency’s officers but that he “cooperated in all that was asked”.