By Souvik Ghosh/IBNS Sep 12, 2022
Several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in various districts have been detained by West Bengal police as the states primary opposition party is set to hold a march to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees office, Nabanna, in Howrah in protest against the scams where a number of ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders came under the scanner.
The march, dubbed as Nabanna Abhiyan, is scheduled to begin at 1 pm.
Three big rallies from three corners will be led by state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and the partys national vice president Dilip Ghosh.
People of Bengal fed-up with TMC are supporting #CholoNobanno in large numbers. pic.twitter.com/vyO3zvNqJf
Dr. Sukanta Majumdar (@DrSukantaBJP) September 13, 2022
Seven trains were entirely booked to drive in BJP workers from various districts, where the march has already heated up the political tension.
Meanwhile, police, who have denied permission to hold the march, have put up barricades with guard rails in Howrah to thwart the rally from reaching the state secretariat Nabanna.
Turning rebel against the police, Majumdar told the media, The Chief Minister and state government are afraid of us so police have been used to stop us.
Glimpses of @WBPolice atrocities. They are trampling upon the Fundamental Rights of citizens ensured by Article 19 of The Constitution Of India: # to assemble peaceably # to move freely throughout the territory of India People are resisting spontaneously.#CholoNobanno pic.twitter.com/U4gGufF1ie
Suvendu Adhikari ???????? ??????? (@SuvenduWB) September 13, 2022
The mega protest rally comes days after erstwhile state minister and TMC secretary general (now suspended) Partha Chatterjee and the ruling partys controversial, heavyweight leader Anubrata Mondal were arrested by the central probe agencies in two disparate cases.
The state politics is on the boil after an unprecedented scene of recovery of cash worth Rs. 50 crore from Chatterjees aide Arpita Mukherjees two flats were telecast live on television.
Chatterjee, a former state education minister, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the teacher recruitment scam.
Mondal was arrested from his residence by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for his alleged involvement in the cattle smuggling case.
TMC national general secretary and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees nephew Abhishek Banerjee has also been quizzed by the ED in a coal scam case earlier this month.
Despite distancing herself from Chatterjee, Mamata stood beside her trusted lieutenant Mondal accusing her arch-rival BJP of using central probe agencies to tarnish her partys image.
Defending himself, Abhishek dared Union Home Minister and BJP top leader Amit Shah to arrest him.