In a subdued response to media posers quite unusual of Mamata Banerjee, the Bengal Chief Minister on Monday said that her party MPs would prefer prayers at Rajghat if a “politically-guided” Delhi Police denied her party permission to hold dharna or sit-in demonstrations in the national Capital against the alleged Central deprivation of Bengal.
“If the Delhi Police does not give us permission to hold dharna in Delhi, then our MPs and MLAs will pray at Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial at Rajghat because no one can prevent anyone from praying at Rajghat on October 2 … we will pray for early release of the MNREGA funds and other dues so as to relieve the poor unpaid labourers of Bengal their hardships,” Banerjee said alleging how the Centre owed several thousand crores to the State on account of MNREGA, Prime Minister’s Housing Scheme etc.
“Delhi police is not our enemy, but they will not be able to give us permission to protest at Rajghat as that will be a political call... However, we can still go there to pray, that is always permissible,” Banerjee whose nephew and TMC national general secretary Abhishek had earlier told a rally that he would lakhs of TMC supporters to Delhi and jam its streets so as to “snatch our rightful demands, said.”
Referring to the special parliamentary session reportedly on the One Nation, One Election proposal so fiercely being opposed by the Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) of which the Chief Minister’s party Trinamool Congress is an important constituent said, “They have called a session but it will not be fair for me to speak about that without first going through the Bill that is introduced … let us first see the Bill …then our party will decide on it.” Banerjee had earlier been vehement on One Nation, One Election claiming how she had “information that they are trying to bring forward the general elections along with the State elections that may take place in the end of this year ...”
The Chief Minister had not only skipped a designated meeting called by Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahalad Joshi but also she criticized the proposal saying it was not feasible in a country like India even that meant cutting down on election costs. She then said, “I agree too (on the expenses to hold polls). It (one nation, one election) may be applicable for local elections. But if you go for that and if tomorrow the central government falls then will the states and the central government go for another election. Please be practical… it is not possible.”
Her critics linked her comparatively subdued response to the central ways to the imminent summons sent by the ED to her nephew Abhishek Banerjee who is being probed for his alleged role in the recruitment and other scams.
On the BJP Government suddenly raking up the India-vs-Bharat issue barely a few months before the general elections the Chief Minister said that the Constitution provides for both the names “India that is Bharat” and it would be unconstitutional to use only Bharat without amending the Constitution.
The Chief Minister had been more vehement on the issue even a few weeks ago when she said that the BJP was out on a name-changing spree ahead of the elections. Alleging that the BJP Government was behaving like Super Gods, Banerjee said “they are changing the history of the country … they have gone on a name-changing spree …they have changed the name of Mughal Sarai to Deen Dayal Upadhyay junction … tomorrow they will change the name of Rabindranath Tagore also.”
Referring to her subdued statements against the Centre, the Bengal Left and Congress leadership said that it was the product of the “G20 dinner at Presidential Palace… where she shared the same table with Amit Shah and Yogi Adityanath.”