Mamata's protest rally at Jantar Mantar brings crowds from Haryana

Trinamool Congress (TMC) today projected itself as a "national" party in an attempt to shed its regional tag. Party Chief Mamata Banerjee will be addressing a protest rally being held at Jantar Mantar in the national capital against the centre's "anti-people" economic policies, later in the afternoon.

TMC has ensured that its rallies are a show of strength drawing neignboring states and not its bastian West bengal. Therefore, the party's Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) K D Singh has succeeded in bringing truckloads of crowds from Haryana and Chandigarh.

This will possibly be the first time a sitting chief minister will hold a protest rally in the capital against the Central government’s policies. Banerjee’s demonstration would be against the centre's economic reforms including Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail, cap on Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders and diesel price hike.

The protest holds significance as only a fortnight back the TMC was the second largest alliance partner of the United Progresive Alliance (UPA). Banerjee has been camping in the capital since Saturday, with her 19 Trinamool Congress MPs, in preparation for the protest.