People of Bengal ready for fight in Delhi: TMC MP over MGNREGA protest

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Susmita Dev hit out at the central government over the refusal to provide special trains to MGNREGA job cardholders from West Bengal to reach Delhi and said that they were ready for the fight.

Ahead of the TMC worker's protest in Delhi, Party leader Susmita Dev said, "BJP has practically declared war on the people of Bengal who want to come to Delhi to protest for their rightful dues from the Union government on October 2 and 3. First, they summoned National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee through the ED. Now, since he is determined to come to Delhi, they have refused to give special trains for the people of Bengal to reach Delhi...The people of Bengal have met this challenge by getting into buses and coming by road which is going to take them very long but they are ready for the fight."

Banerjee was summoned by the ED on October 3 in connection with the ongoing investigation into the cash-for-school job scam.

He said at least 50 central teams have so far visited Bengal and the state has furnished every detail with regard to the implementation of MGNREGA and Awas Yojana, yet "not a single paise has been released".

Susmita Dev further said that many of the public representatives from Bengal had booked a flight to reach Delhi.

She said, "A well-known airline like Vistara where 120 people were due to travel to Delhi to join the protest but now without any explanation Vistara airlines has cancelled that entire flight in which TMC leaders were coming. It is clear that the BJP realises it is unprecedented for the people of Bengal to come to Delhi to protest against the Union government. They will not let it succeed but you can see on social media that thousands of people are coming on buses. People will reach Delhi anyhow under the leadership of CM Mamata Banerjee and General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee."

Thousands of MGNREGA job cardholders from West Bengal have left for the national capital, in several buses arranged by Trinamool Congress (TMC), for a protest scheduled next week against the alleged withholding of funds by the Centre.

The protesters, under the banner of 'Dilli Cholo: A fight for our rights!', will raise their voices for the payment of alleged arrears for 100 days of work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme.

The TMC is scheduled to hold a mega protest at Delhi's Raj Ghat on October 2 and 3, against the central government for delay in release of funds to West Bengal.

Abhishek Banerjee said that the fight against the neglect of West Bengal by the Centre will continue and he will be joining the protests in Delhi on Oct 2.