Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged people to flag every concern under the Didir Suraksha Kawach programme of the Trinamul Congress and not to pay heed to the Opposition’s allegedly sinister propaganda.

The Trinamul chairperson’s request has come in the backdrop of protests faced by the party’s leaders since the programme took off on January 11.

“This is my project. If you have problems, you must raise them. There are problems always, who does not have problems? But do not be provoked by somebody else, by canards or malicious, sinister propaganda with political motives,” Mamata said at a state government event in Murshidabad’s Sagardighi.

Protests have been reported from numerous places in the presence of at least a dozen Trinamul leaders, who are visiting villages as Didir Doot (Didi’s emissary) under the Didir Suraksha Kawach (Didi’s talisman or armour of protection) programme.

But sources in the senior leadership of the ruling party said this was an expected and even desired part of the exercise, akin to Didi Ke Bolo in 2019.

“The programme (Didi’s talisman or armour of protection) was envisioned to ensure that this happens. In political science, there is a rather basic concept of the safety valve theory, which has been around for centuries.... We are looking to help the people let out the steam of their grievances so that they are not vented at polling booths,” said a senior Trinamul MP.

At the Sagardighi event, Mamata said: “One or two might be bad, but not everybody.”

Trinamul has been plagued by extensive allegations of irregularity and corruption through 2022 in the recruitment of teachers to schools and the distribution of benefits under a central housing scheme among others.

“Guard yourselves against avarice.... If anyone made mistakes, go to the people and seek forgiveness. If anybody took anything that should have gone to somebody else, return it to them,” Mamata said. “Before sending agencies to raid others, the BJP should look at themselves. Charity begins at home. First, ask ED, CBI, and IT department to investigate BJP leaders.”

Trinamul state general-secretary Kunal Ghosh, unwilling to attach “undue” importance to the protests, said: “This is a programme precisely for this, to listen to people’s grievances from them, directly, on the ground. So that they are adequately addressed, promptly.”

A senior member of the Mamata Banerjee cabinet said Trinamul leaders had faced the protests in pockets with a substantial support base of the BJP and the agitation might have been orchestrated.