The Birbhum unit of Trinamul Congress has decided on around 170 protest rallies on Saturday at every gram panchayat and six municipalities in the district against the BJP’s “anti-people policies” and “misuse” of central agencies against the ruling party leaders in Bengal.
Sources said this follows chief minister Mamata Banerjee's directive to Birbhum leaders from a party meeting in Calcutta on Thursday to intensify the fight against the BJP in the absence of Trinamul Birbhum chief Anubrata Mondal, arrested by the CBI in connection with the cattle-smuggling case.
“There will be separate protest rallies by party workers in each of the 167 gram panchayats and six civic bodies. Party workers will take out rallies against the BJP’s anti-people policies and desperate moves by the (central) agencies. We will continue our fight till Anubrata comes out,” said Asish Banerjee, Birbhum’s Trinamul chairman.
Sources in Trinamul said that after Mamata’s directive, party leaders held a meeting on Friday morning in Bolpur and chalked out plans to continue political events in the district. The meeting took note of Mamata’s support for Mondal.
“Our supremo Mamata Banerjee has put all her strength behind Keshto da (Anubrata Mondal’s nickname). So, there is no question of being demoralised by continuous CBI raids and the arrest of our leader,” said a Trinamul leader in Birbhum.
“In future there would be more protest rallies, meetings and other political activities,” he added. Mamata had extolled Mondal for his work and abilities, accusing the BJP of trying to remove him from politics with the hope of winning a couple of Lok Sabha seats in the region in 2024.
“They will not succeed. Those who have come from Birbhum… take this vow here, today, that you will intensify the fight, three-fold. For as long as Keshto does not return. When he does, give him the respect he deserves. When he gets out, accord him a hero’s welcome,” Mamata said in her meeting with party leaders and workers at Netaji Indoor Stadium in Calcutta on Thursday.
Sources said since Mondal’s arrest, central agencies have expanded its raids to homes of multiple close aides of his. Also, in the political vacuum, a large number of party workers and leaders have started wondering who would be the next person on Mondal’s chair in Birbhum.
In Birbhum, there are multiple factions in Trinamul and many have admitted that Mondal was one who could stitch all together with his strong leadership. In his absence, the BJP has already started to build a base in the district known as Trinamul bastion since the party came to power in 2011.
“There is no one in Birbhum right now who can replace Mondal in handling the party. Mamata surely understands the situation and so she has put her strength behind Mondal to keep the morale of party workers intact,” said a Trinamul leader in Calcutta.
Mamata’s support on Thursday reflected prominently in the body language of Mondal when he was taken out of Asansol correctional home on Friday.
“No one stays in jail for long. I will also certainly get out of jail. It is enough that Didi is with me,” Mondal said. Asking if he would conduct the upcoming panchayat polls in his own style, he said: “People are hitting the roads in thousands. It will be taken care of when the panchayat poll comes.”Mondal was on Friday acquitted by the MP/MLA court in Salt Lake in a case of political violence in East Burdwan’s Mangalkot in which he, along with 13 other Trinamul leaders, had been accused.
