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West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee’s “Save the Constitution” sit-in protest against the Centre entered its second day on Monday. As per the sources in TMC, the dharna is likely to continue till February 8. Opposition leaders have expressed solidarity with the West Bengal CM.
RJD, DMK show support
Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav and DMK MP Kanimozhi paid a visit to express solidarity with Banerjee. Calling the BJP government “fascist”, MK Kanimozhi said Banerjee has ensured that the entire country “looks up to her”. The DMK, she says, has expressed its solidarity and promised to “stand with Banerjee”.
Meanwhile, Tejashwi Yadav said: “I extend my full support to Mamata di. The moment you oppose the BJP, they will unleash the investigating agencies on you.
My father, Lalu Prasad, has been fighting these communal forces and it is a result of this that he is languishing in jail. I appeal to all political parties to come together and save the Constitution. The Constitution can be saved only when the BJP is removed from power.” Former fisheries minister of the State and SP leader Kiranmay Nanda came as Akhilesh Yadav’s emissary and shared the dais with Banerjee. “It is 2019 and the elections are expected to be announced in the next few days. Why was action not taken earlier?” Nanda told reporters here.
The flashpoint came after CBI officials attempted to question Kolkata Police commissioner Rajeev Kumar, with regard to the multi-crore Ponzi scam. They tried to enter the police commissioner’s Loudon Street residence on Sunday.
Kolkata Police officers detained the CBI team, while the West Bengal police laid siege to CBI offices.
The stand-off, a first-of-its-kind, was resolved at night but not before CRPF forces were deployed across the CBI premises in the city.
The incident forced CM Mamata Banerjee to take to the streets alleging that this was a “Constitutional coup planned by the BJP” and launch a “satyagraha” in order to “save democracy and the Constitution”.
Accordingly, a stage was set up in the heart of the city (Metro Channel) where the sit-in demonstration is taking place.
Standing firm with the force
Post an investiture ceremony of the police, carried out at a stage adjacent to the ‘dharna’ dais, Banerjee yet again stood firm by the force.
According to her, the BJP was maligning the “chair of the police commissioner” and the forces. This was unacceptable to her.
“I am ready to give my life, but I will not compromise. I did not take to the streets when they touched TMC leaders. But I am angry when they tried to insult the chair of the Kolkata Police Commissioner as he is leading the organisation,” the CM said, defending her decision.
The protest, she reiterated, was not against “an agency”, but against “Modi government’s atrocities and its repeated misuse of institutions for personal gains”.
Protest rallies
Incidentally, Banerjee also held a Cabinet meet at the protest site to clear State Budget proposals.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress workers took out multiple protest rallies across the State and also blocked rail movement.
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