Trinamool Congress chief and former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday launched a protest in Kolkata over alleged post-poll violence that targeted party leaders, including her nephew and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and MP Kalyan Banerjee.
Before launching the demonstration, Banerjee paid floral tributes at the statue of BR Ambedkar along with party leaders. She was also seen holding a copy of the Constitution of India before heading to the protest site.
Banerjee reached the dharna site at Esplanade's Y-channel after the TMC's appeal to hold the protest at the adjacent Rani Rashmoni Road was turned down by the Kolkata Police.
"We were not given permission to set up a stage or use microphones," Banerjee said, while addressing the crowd using a megaphone.
The party supremo, however, asserted that the dharna will continue till the evening as scheduled. The protest was marked by chaos, with TMC workers shouting slogans amid the former chief minister's speech.
Banerjee was seen accompanied by the party's old guards Firhad Hakim, Madan Mitra, Derek O'Brien, Kalyan Banerjee and Dola Sen, amid the conspicuous absence of most of the fresh faces who won the assembly seats on TMC tickets.
The protest is primarily against attacks on Trinamool Congress leaders in incidents of post-poll violence, hawker evictions and other issues. It comes amid heightened political tensions following reported attacks on Abhishek Banerjee and Kalyan Banerjee during their respective visits to affected areas in West Bengal.
Earlier on Monday, Mamata Banerjee had strongly criticised the incidents, calling them "absurd and authoritarian conduct."
She had said, "The way you assaulted the MP of the second-largest opposition party is shocking. Doctors were called, yet hospitals were allegedly instructed not to provide treatment. What kind of absurd and authoritarian conduct is this?"
She further alleged that attempts were being made to weaken the party. "TMC will become even stronger. You cannot weaken the party by intimidating or bribing a few MLAs and MPs; in fact, this is only making the party stronger," she said.
Banerjee also warned that if her party was denied permission to hold protests in Kolkata, it would escalate the agitation to the national capital.
"Arrest me if you want. The TMC will hold its protest on June 2 even without police permission, microphones or a stage. If we are not allowed to protest in Kolkata, we will protest in Delhi," she said.
The demonstration follows allegations by Abhishek Banerjee that he was attacked with bricks, stones and eggs during a visit to South 24 Parganas, leaving him with an eye injury. Party MP Kalyan Banerjee has also alleged that he survived an "attempt to murder" near Chanditala Police Station while submitting a deputation.
Meanwhile, the police have arrested five people in connection with the alleged attack on Abhishek Banerjee, with investigations underway.
