Kolkata: Day after the Trinamool Congress claimed that Delhi Police had denied them permission to stage protests over non-release of NREGA dues to Bengal, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said the TMC will face strong action if they go ahead with the stir in the national capital.
Leader of the opposition in Bengal assembly Adhikari told reporters on Sunday that Delhi Police, which functions under the Union home ministry, will not tolerate any chaos by Mamata Banerjee’s party in the national capital.
Adhikari said, “Their leader Abhishek Banerjee had earlier said the party would be taking 20 lakh people to Delhi in October. We are waiting to see if lakhs actually descend on the capital’s roads.”
On Saturday, the TMC had said the party wanted to stage protests in New Delhi for the non-release of NREGA dues to Bengal but Delhi Police denied its request.
“We had plans to stage protests in New Delhi for the non-release of NREGA dues to Bengal. But despite several requests to Delhi Police, we were not given permission. But we will go to New Delhi on October 2 and pay our respects to the Father of the Nation. Our supremo Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee, all our party MPs, MLAs and panchayat samiti sabhapatis will accompany,” party leader Chandrima Bhattacharya said.
Countering Adhikari, TMC Rajya Sabha MP and spokesperson Santanu Sen said, “The words of Adhikari, an opportunist turncoat, confirm the dictatorial, anti-democratic stance of BJP which wants to crush any democratic protest.”
Referring to the farmers’ agitation two years ago in the national capital, Sen said, “BJP wants to crush any democratic movement with brutal police power.”
Incidentally, the TMC chief on September 11 had said her partymen will pray at Rajghat if permission to protest in Delhi on Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary is denied.
“How can Delhi Police give permission [for the protest] when they are scared? They are not our enemies but they have to follow political directives. Every person can go to pay their respects to Mahatma Gandhi on Gandhi Jayanti. If they deny us permission to protest, our MPs, MLAs, and zilla parishad presidents can go and pray at Rajghat,” Banerjee had said.
Follow on Twitter | Posted by Marziya Sharif | 
