Mamata threatens Delhi protests over 'poor' highways

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday threatened to protest in the national capital over the poor upkeep of national highways in her state.

"Forty-six MPs of my Trinamool Congress in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha will raise their voice of protest in parliament. Anybody who thinks that after being in power, I can't organise protests, is mistaken. We are not weak," Banerjee said at an official programme at Gangarampur in South Dinajpur district.

Banerjee, who came to the district in north Bengal by road, deeply resented the condition of the national highway.

She said her government's consistent demand since coming to power in 2011 that the national highways in her state be repaired has fallen on deaf ears.

She demanded that the Centre hand over the hational highways to the state government if it was unable to repair them.

The Trinamool chief also ridiculed the slogan of the Bharatiya Janata Party before the Lok Sabha polls "Achchhe din aane wale hain", saying that instead of "achchhe din" (good days) "Bure din" (bad days) have come.

"They claimed that good days will come but are not even repairing the national highways," the chief minister said.

She announced that a new scheme 'Karmashree' would be rolled out in the districts, that would be a collection of various other schemes for providing jobs to people.

Banerjee presided over an administrative meeting at Gangarampur where officials of both North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur districts were present.