Mamata’s Overnight Dharna Increases Political Temperature

Kolkata: Surrounded by TMC leaders, the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sat overnight in front of BR Ambedkar’s statue in Kolaka city.

She is staging a two-day-long dharna to protest against alleged discrimination by the Centre against West Bengal. On Wednesday she urged all political parties in the country to unite to fight the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha election. It was contradictory to her earlier declaration to maintain equidistance from both Congress and the BJP.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo was accompanied by several party leaders, including Firhad Hakim and Aroop Biswas, at the protest site. Security was tight at the venue of dharna.

Mamata Banerjee started the sit-in demonstration on Wednesday noon protesting against the Centre’s alleged “stoppage” of funds to the state for MGNREGA and other schemes of the housing and public works departments.