Trinamool hits streets to protest MP's arrest by CBI

Trinamool Congress ministers and senior leaders on Wednesday joined in protest rallies organised by the state's ruling party across districts against the arrest of the party's Lok Sabha leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay.

Bandyopadhyay was arrested on Tuesday by the Central Bureau of Investigation after hours of grilling over the Rose Valley chit fund scam. Another Trinamool MP, Tapas Paul, is already under the CBI arrest in connection with the scam.

A day after Bandyopadhyay's arrest, sporadic incidents of angry demonstrations were reported from all parts of Bengal as the Trinamool Congress activists blocked several roads and railway lines, and agitated at various blocks of districts.

A group of Trinamool supporters blocked the gate of the CBI's regional office at the Central Government Organisations (CGO) complex in Salt Lake where Bandyopadhyay was interrogated and later arrested on Tuesday.

The agitators with banners and placards in hand shouted anti-Modi slogans like "Narendra Modi dur hato" (Narendra Modi go away) and hailed Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her fight against the Centre.

More than a hundred activists of Trinamool Congress's youth and student wings gathered in front of Union Minister Babul Supriyo's house here and shouted slogans, demanding the BJP leader's arrest for his alleged involvement in the ponzi scam. The police personnel deployed at the spot had a tough time controlling the mob.

The agitators blocked National Highway 34 at Nadia district's Chakdaha and burnt the effigy of Narenda Modi. National Highway 2 was also lumped for more than an hour at Burdwan district's Asansol.

Meanwhile, a group of Trinamool supporters led by party leader Paresh Pal rallied in north Kolkata's Kankurgachi. Another rally led by Trinamool leader Sovandeb Chatterjee walked from Wellington Square to S.N. Banerjee Road in Kolkata.

"This protest rally is a spontaneous display of people's outrage. Two of our MPs are victimised and arrested as our leader Mamata Banerjee is protesting against Centre's atrocities and common man's suffering due to the note ban," state Power Minister Sovandeb Chatterjee said.

The train services of Eastern Railway were disrupted in Sealdah Main and South sections by temporary blockades raised by demonstrators at several railway stations, including Garia, Bagbazar and Kakurgachi, between 9 a.m to 11.30 a.m.

The district administration of Trinamool Congress also observed protest demonstrations at Canning in South 24-Parganas and Bali in Hooghly district and staged sit-ins in Datan and Nayagram regions in West Midnapore district.

--IANS

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