Trinamul on Saturday offered its “moral” support to the nationwide strike on December 8 against the Centre’s farm laws after the party’s senior leaders met the Shiromani Akali Dal here.

Trinamul MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay said: “There will be moral support from the party, as we are in wholehearted agreement on the issues... But, because as a party our position is anti-bandh, we won’t be out on the streets to enforce one.”

“Many events are lined up to back the movement, including protest marches in every block and ward of the state and a three-day dharna in Calcutta, which she (Mamata Banerjee) would participate in, starting December 8,” he added. “Her message is clear...relentless agitations across the country till the laws are repealed. Nothing less.”

Bandyopadhyay, his Rajya Sabha counterpart Derek O’Brien and state labour minister Moloy Ghatak hosted a six-member Shiromani Akali Dal delegation, led by senior vice-president Prem Singh Chandumajra, at Trinamul Bhavan.

“It began with farmers, but now it is a movement of all. From our beloved chief minister of Bengal Mamata Banerjee, to Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, everyone is sympathetic...,” said Chandumajra.

Left-backed protests

The Bengal unit of the Left-backed All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) held protests across the state on Saturday against the farm bills. “We ended a three-day event on Saturday. We blocked roads on Thursday and Friday as well. We won’t settle for anything less than revoking the laws,” Amal Halder, state convener of the AIKSCC, said.

The rally in Calcutta was joined by people from other outfits including the Joint Forum Against NRC, a common platform of organisations protesting against the new citizenship matrix.

Additional reporting by Arkamoy Datta Majumdar