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Mamata to hold two-day dharna from Mar 29 protesting against Modi govt

by Trans World Features | @twfindia 22 Mar 2023, 12:53 pm

Kolkata : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will hold a two-day dharna (sit-in protest) beginning on Mar 29 protesting against the central government's delay in disbursing funds of MGNREGA scheme and an alleged attempt to malign the state.

Mamata, who is on a trip to Odisha presently, on Tuesday said she will hold a 30-hour dharna near the Ambedkar Statue in Kolkata's downtown.

"I will hold a two-day protest near the Ambedkar Statue on Mar 29-30 as the Chief Minister of Bengal to protest against the dictatorial attempt to malign the Bengal government and deprive our state of its rightful due," said Mamata.

Besides escalating her attacks on the Centre, Mamata is presently busy in hobnobbing with various powerful regional leaders in building a third front, which will maintain an equal distance from both the country's governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and a beleaguered opposition force Congress.

Mamata, who heads the Trinamool Congress, is scheduled to meet Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik during her ongoing trip.

Last week, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav flew down to Kolkata for his party programme and touched down Mamata's residence to discuss the third front with her.

Agreeing with Mamata's new national political stance, Akhilesh had said, "In Bengal, we are with Mamata Didi. Right now, our stand is we want to maintain equi-distance from both the BJP and the Congress."

Back home, Mamata's Trinamool is facing massive corruption allegations on various fronts with some of its top leaders being arrested.

Former West Bengal Education Minister and now suspended Trinamool leader Partha Chatterjee was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate after a huge sum of money was recovered from his close aide Arpita Mukherjee's flat in connection with the teacher recruitment scam.

Trinamool district president of Birbhum, Anubrata Mondal, is now in Delhi's Tihar Jail months after he was arrested in connection with the coal scam.