Mamata gives ‘ aur ek dafa Delhi chalo’ call to oust BJP from power
The Hindu
TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, who has been on an overnight ‘sit-in protest’ against the Centre’s alleged discrimination against West Bengal, called for an “aur ek dafa Delhi chalo” (another march to Delhi) to oust the right-wing party from power.
Taking forward her sharp attack against arch-rival BJP, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, who has been on an overnight 'sit-in protest' in Kolkata against the Centre's alleged discrimination against West Bengal, called for an " aur ek dafa Delhi chalo" (another march to Delhi) to oust the right-wing party from power.
A day before, the West Bengal Chief Minister and stormy petrel of Indian politics had in a change of stance urged all parties in the country to unitedly fight the BJP in next year's Lok Sabha election, a departure from an earlier decision to remain equidistant from both the Congress and the saffron party.
The “ aur ek bar Delhi Chalo” call made from the feet of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s statue on Kolkata’s Red Road, an obvious take on Netaji Subhas Bose’s more famous “ Delhi Chalo” clarion call delivered in Singapore 80 years ago, resounded well with her supporters, who had thronged the venue of the sit-in, in large numbers.
Ms. Banerjee had started the two-day demonstration on Wednesday noon against the Centre's "stoppage" of funds to the State for MGNREGA and other schemes of the housing and public works departments.
"All of us have to unite, fight against the BJP and defeat it. If needed, we will march to Delhi to protest against the Centre’s attempts to destroy the country's federal structure and keep States ruled by non-BJP parties bereft of funds.
"I was under the impression that the Union Government would communicate and inform us that it would pay our dues. But, nothing like that has happened. The BJP is running a government by the [Central] agencies and of the agencies. The party is trying to project all Opposition parties as corrupt, and itself as saint,” she said.
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