Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said she may join the Cockroach Janata Party protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on October 10, but said a final decision would be taken later.
Banerjee made the remarks at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport before flying to Delhi to participate in the ongoing protests by the opposition INDIA bloc.
“We may join the protest at Jantar Mantar scheduled for October 10, but nothing can be confirmed now,” Banerjee said, adding that her party had maintained a relationship with the CJP and extended its support to the protest.
She also renewed her attack on the BJP and the Election Commission over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.
“No election has ever taken place like the way it was conducted in Bengal. Have you ever heard anyone declaring before an election exactly how many votes they will win by?” Banerjee said, alleging calculated voting, bogus voting, rigging and “vote looting”.
Banerjee said she had decided to travel to Delhi despite the ongoing Puja festivities as she believed it was important to stand by those raising their voices on the issue.
“Initially, I had decided not to attend the programme, but since my name was included and the organisers personally requested my presence, I decided that I should go,” she said.
The TMC leader also expressed solidarity with Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over the alleged police action during the October 6 opposition protests in Delhi.
“Rahul Gandhi is the Leader of the Opposition... Everyone has the right to take part in a movement, but the way Priyanka was treated was also very wrong,” she said.
Banerjee said she planned to approach President Droupadi Murmu over the police action and seek the support of leaders from political parties across the country.
Meanwhile, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh alleged on X that Banerjee's flight to Delhi had been intentionally delayed. He said the flight, originally scheduled to depart at 3 pm, was first delayed to 3.45 pm and then to 4.30 pm, questioning whether the delay was intended to disrupt her programmes in Delhi.
(With inputs from PTI)