Trinamool Congress leader and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee joined a protest march in Kolkata’s Dharmatala against the alleged illegal eviction of street vendors. The protest march was unscheduled, as the former prime minister had not disclosed her plans in advance to the administration.
Banerjee was accompanied by TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh and former MP Dula Sen, news agency PTI reported. The TMC president first arrived at the Esplanade, where her presence attracted a large crowd, and then led the march to Subodh Mulek Square. Apart from party members, Banerjee was also joined by hundreds of protesters.
An anti-encroachment drive on June 7 saw several bulldozers demolishing makeshift shops and hawker stalls on Jadavpur Station Road, news agency ANI reported.
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Why did Mamata Banerjee join the march against the eviction of street vendors?
Banerjee stressed that the eviction of street vendors must be preceded by their rehabilitation. The TMC described the evictions across the state as “illegal, unfair and inhumane”.
A circular issued by the TMC on X said that the dignity and livelihood of the people of Bengal will be defended.
“Our honorable president Mamata Banerjee, along with party leaders and dedicated workers, led a peaceful protest march against the illegal, unfair and inhumane eviction of street vendors across Bengal. The people of Bengal have always come first,” the party said in the post. “The dignity, livelihoods and rights of street vendors will be defended with unwavering determination, and in this fight, no stone will be left unturned,” she said. The party described the BJP government as “ruthless” and accused it of practicing “anti-people’s policies”.
The protest comes at a time when the Banerjee-led TMC is facing an internal crisis, with several MLAs rebelling against the party and at least 20 Lok Sabha MPs joining the Tripura-based NCPI and extending support to the NDA.
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“Last effort to stay in the media”: BJP
Meanwhile, the BJP hit back at the TMC, with West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh claiming that the protest was Banerjee’s “last ditch attempt to stay in the media”, PTI reported.
“Mamata Banerjee’s case is that she has no party, no workers, no party office… She is only responsible for these hawkers from whom she took money and allowed them to sit on the roads,” Ghosh said.
The minister said the state government was committed to mitigate public nuisance by ensuring that roads were “smooth” and free of encroachments.
The anti-encroachment campaign on June 7 attracted large crowds, with people gathering around the authorities and raising slogans against the campaign. As the protests escalated, police attacked many demonstrators, according to the Italian news agency. Members of the Rapid Action Force have been deployed.
