Failing to elicit a response from the Centre on clearing state dues despite her overnight dharna in Calcutta, Mamata Banerjee threatened to hold a march to Delhi as her next step to ramp up protests.
It was also an occasion the Bengal chief minister latched on to claim she has made Calcutta into a better city than London.
“It seems the time has come to repeat Subhas Chandra Bose’s “Dilli Chalo’ call for the freedom of this country and march to Delhi. If the high-handedness of the BJP government does not stop and if people are kept deprived of their rights, then we will have to conduct one more march to Delhi. On the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence, we will march to Delhi with photographs of Netaji, Gandhiji, Ambedkar, Maulana Azad and other leaders in our hands,” Banerjee declared from her dharna platform on the second and final day of sit-in protest on Thursday.
“We will hire trains and raise funds from people for that if required and reach Delhi. And if you deny us reservations then people will point fingers at you the day you allow BJP workers to board trains for their political programmes,” she added.
“We waited till today. I was expecting the Centre to show some courtesy, apologize and tell us they have realized they have made a mistake in withholding our funds for 100 days work, for Bengal rural housing scheme and assure us the release of over Rs 1.15 lakh crore dues to us which are rightfully our money. I was expecting them to ensure the release of the GST money and funds for rural roads which they owe us. But that did not happen. So we have to intensify our agitation,” Banerjee said while urging mainstream media to not cow down before BJP’s threats and censor protest coverage.
Speaking later in the day once again from the same venue before wrapping up this leg of her agitation and drawing reference to “a changed Calcutta with improved infrastructure and cleanliness”, Banerjee said: “I know I had promised to make Calcutta into a city like London. I have delivered more. Our Eco Park is much better compared to Hyde Park in central London. London has no equivalent to our world-class convention centre.”
Banerjee kept training her guns at the Centre for allegedly taking her for granted over the non-payment of dues controversy. “You must remember we are not your bonded labourer neither are we your servants. We are citizens of this country,” she said further reminding that it’s the Centre’s “Constitutional obligation to pay MNREGA dues within seven days of completion of work.”
“We are otherwise decent people. But we can respond adequately if we are threatened or if others try to dominate us. Bengal played a prominent role in India’s freedom struggle because we are not in a habit of being dominated,” she stated.
Holding the Constitution in her hand and repeating her call for opposition unity, Banerjee said: “They have started saying that opposition parties are corrupt the moment I called for unity. But they have disrupted this nation and its people. They can continue to say what they have to say but we know how to fight back. We were born from protests and we are standing here today on our own merit and abilities, not because of any favour from BJP thugs. We will not keep quiet and we are ready to give a befitting reply to them,” she lashed out.
Taking the call for political unity a step further, Banerjee said that the need of the hour was to bring people from all walks of life, from the civil society, and even religious leaders who love and respect the Constitution to come together to “stop the BJP from bulldozing and demolishing Constitutional rights”.
“No matter what the BJP may think, the Karnataka elections won’t be a cakewalk for them. Except for a few BJP-ruled states the entire country would come together against them in the upcoming elections,” she maintained.
