Trinamool Congress chairperson and former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee joined a protest march in Kolkata’s Dharmatala against the alleged illegal eviction of hawkers.
The protest march was unscheduled, with the former CM not disclosing her plans in advance to the administration.
Banerjee was accompanied by TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh and former MP Dola Sen. The TMC chairperson first reached Esplanade, wherein her presence drew a large crowd, and then led the march to Subodh Mullick Square, PTI rnews agency reported. Apart from party members, Banerjee was also joined by hundreds of protestors.
An anti-encroachment drive on June 7 had seen multiple bulldozers tear down makeshift shops and hawker stalls on Jadavpur Station Road, ANI news agency reported.
Why did Mamata Banerjee join the march against hawkers’ eviction?
Banerjee has asserted that the eviction of hawkers must be preceded by their rehabilitation. The TMC has described the evictions across the state as “illegal, unjust and inhuman.”
A post by the TMC on X stated that the dignity and livelihood of the people of Bengal will be defended.
“Our Hon’ble Chairperson Mamata Banerjee, alongside party leaders and dedicated workers, led a peaceful protest march against the illegal, unjust and deeply inhumane eviction of hawkers across Bengal. The people of Bengal have always come first,” the party said in the post. It said that the hawkers’ “dignity, livelihoods and rights will be defended with unwavering resolve, and in that fight, no stone will be left unturned.” The party has termed the BJP government as “ruthless”, accusing it of bringing “anti-people policies.”
The protest comes even as the Banerjee-led TMC is facing an internal crisis, with several of its MLAs rebelling against the party, and at least 20 of its Lok Sabha MPs joining the Tripura-based party NCPI and extending support to the NDA.
‘Last-ditch effort to remain in 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 effort to remain in the media”, ANI reported.
“The condition of Mamata Banerjee is such that she neither has a party, nor her workers, nor her party office…She is only responsible for those hawkers from whom she has taken money and allowed to sit on the roads,” Ghosh said.
The minister said that the state government was committed to easing public inconvenience by making sure that the roads were “smooth” and free from encroachment.
The anti-encrochment drive on June 7 had drawn a large crowd, with people gathering around the authorities and raising slogans against the action. As protests escalated, police lathi-charged several protestors, according to the ANI reported. Rapid Action Force personnel were deployed.