NEW DELHI, Oct 3: TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and several other party leaders were detained on Tuesday night after they held a dharna at the Union Rural Development Ministry office here demanding a meeting with the minister.
The development came as the tug-of-war between the Centre and the West Bengal government over the release of funds to the state intensified with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) holding protests in the national capital for the second consecutive day.
Banerjee, along with party lawmakers, state ministers and supporters including MGNREGA workers, protested at Jantar Mantar here, a day after they held a two-hour sit-in at the Rajghat on Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary before being evicted by the police.
They later took out a march to the Rural Development Ministry at the Krishi Bhavan, where they had an appointment with Minister of State Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti.
However, around an hour and a half after going to the Bhavan, TMC leaders claimed that the MoS refused to meet them saying she would not meet more than five representatives.
The TMC leaders, who had brought with them bundles of letters addressed to the prime minister and the rural development minister, refused to leave till the MoS met them.
Led by Banerjee, a group of TMC leaders sat on a dharna, which continued till around 9 pm, after which they were detained by the police and evicted from the ministry premises.
The Trinamool Congress claimed that the phones of some leaders were also taken by the police.
Addressing the protesters at Jantar Mantar, Banerjee said their party’s elected representatives will forgo their salaries to pay MGNREGA workers and the payments will be made within two months even if the Centre does not pay their dues.
He also accused the Centre of trying to stall their protest. “Yesterday they sent around 5,000 to 10,000 police personnel, RAF and other forces to stop 50 leaders of the TMC. Today as well the number of security personnel here makes it appear as if India-China war is going on here,” said Banerjee, flanked by party leaders holding placards on the stage.
He also said the Union government is spending thousands of crores on planes and the New Parliament Building, but is not paying dues to workers. (PTI)
