New Delhi: The TMC on Monday slammed the Centre after the West Bengal government’s request for special trains to carry people from Alipurduar and Coochbehar to Kolkata ahead of its March 10 ‘Jana Garjan Sabha’ was turned down by the railways.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Derek O’Brien said it will not stop people from attending the rally.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the TMC shared a reply sent by the Office of the General Manager (operations) of Northeast Frontier Railway office, which said the proposal for running two FTR special trains on 08.03.2024 is not feasible due to operational constraints.
“Despite accepting a security deposit, our request for special trains to carry the people of Alipurduar and Coochbehar to Kolkata have been turned down, stating “operation constraints”. We’re 6 days away from the Jono Gorjon Sabha and the BJP JOMIDARS (landlords) can already feel the ground beneath their feet shaking,” the TMC said in the post.
“Unfortunately for them, nothing can stop us. It didn’t stop people from reaching Delhi and it won’t stop them from participating in what will be an historic rally!” they said.
Slamming the Union government on the issue, O’Brien questioned if the railways would have cited operational issues if the trains were demanded by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
“PM Narendra Modi’s Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw… Would you have cited “operational issues” if these trains were requested by the Odisha CM who ensured that you got Rajya Sabha? Clearly not,” TMC’s leader in Rajya Sabha Derek O’Brien said in a post on X.
“Such pettiness can’t stop lakhs of people from mega rally Jono Gorjon Sabha on March 10,” he said.
The TMC is set to hold the Jan Garjan Sabha rally at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade ground on March 10. The trains had been requested to ferry participants to the rally.
Earlier, the TMC leaders had alleged that the railways refused to provide special trains for ferrying their leaders and the MGNREGA beneficiaries to Delhi for a protest in Delhi on October 2 and 3 against the non-payment of dues to the state.
West Bengal’s ruling TMC has announced a mega rally at the Brigade Parade Ground on March 10 to protest alleged discrimination by the Central government against the state’s social welfare projects.
The rally is scheduled to be addressed by TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, party sources said.
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