TMC chief Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday condemned the police action against protesters in Delhi over the NEET paper leak, calling it "unacceptable", and extended her party's support to the Opposition's sit-in near the prime minister's residence.
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and several other Opposition leaders staged a dharna outside the prime minister's residence, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the police action against students protesting the alleged NEET paper leak.
"The police atrocities on our youth in Delhi are unacceptable. Shame on the Union government. The All India Trinamool Congress fully supports the sit-down protest by the Opposition today near Akbar Road. Our full solidarity," Banerjee said in a social media post.
The TMC supremo also alleged that BJP workers disrupted preparations for the party's Martyrs' Day programme in Kolkata.
"There were also police atrocities in Kolkata all through last night. BJP goons did all they could to disrupt preparations for our Martyrs' Day programme. They arrived on motorcycle squads, destroyed signage, vandalised the stage and deliberately cut microphone wires. Many youth were threatened and injured by these goons," she alleged in the post on Tuesday night.
Banerjee said the programme went ahead despite the alleged disruptions, with TMC workers from across West Bengal participating.
"We pledge to unitedly fight the atrocities and dictatorial attitude of the BJP. We will take our fight from Bengal to India. United we stand," she added.
TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee also criticised the treatment of Rahul Gandhi during the protests.
"In a parliamentary democracy, the Opposition is not an adversary of the State but an indispensable constitutional institution. Respect for constitutional offices cannot be selective, nor can accountability be met with intimidation," the Diamond Harbour MP said in a post.
(With inputs from PTI)