Mamata Banerjee sits overnight in 'dharna' against Centre, raises political temperature
The Hindu
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is staging a two-day sit-in to protest alleged discrimination by the Centre against the state, had Wednesday in a change of stance urged all political parties in the country to unitedly fight the BJP in next year’s Lok Sabha election.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sat overnight in front of Dalit icon Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's statue on Red Road in the heart of the metropolis, surrounded by a cohort of TMC leaders and workers under television camera arclights.
Ms. Banerjee, who is staging a two-day sit-in to protest alleged discrimination by the Centre against the state, had Wednesday in a change of stance urged all political parties in the country to unitedly fight the BJP in next year's Lok Sabha election.
This is a departure from an earlier decision to remain equidistant from both the Congress and the right-wing party ruling India's federal polity.
The Trinamool Congress supremo was accompanied by several party leaders, including Firhad Hakim and Aroop Biswas at the protest site.
Ms. Banerjee’s 30-hour demonstration is likely to end around 7 p.m. on Thursday.
Security measures in and around the venue were tightened keeping in mind the presence of high-profile leaders, a senior officer of Kolkata Police said.
Ms. Banerjee started the sit-in from Wednesday noon, protesting against the Centre's "stoppage" of funds to the state for MGNREGA and other schemes of the housing and public works departments.
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