As TMC continues its protest over the Centre's alleged withholding of MGNREGA dues of West Bengal, party leader Mahua Moitra lashed out against West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose for his alleged refusal to meet the delegation over the issue.
The TMC had been protesting in Delhi and West Bengal since Monday alleging that the Centre was intentionally delaying payment of MGNREGA dues and housing schemes for impoverished families of Bengal.
The party workers led by TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee, who is TMC's national general secretary, launched the sit-in on Thursday in front of Governor C V Ananda Bose's residence seeking a meeting with the delegation. However, Bose who visited flood-affected areas of North Bengal, on Thursday evening, left for Delhi.
Following this, Mahua Moitra took to X to hit out at Bose. "Hon’ble Governor WB is on the run. Just like the lying minister @SadhviNiranjan who escaped via the back door. But we will wait as long as it takes. And we will fight for Bengal’s dues."
Moitra was referring to Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti's statement that she waited for over two hours to meet Trinamool MPs at her office, but the delegation did not show up. Tagging the Union Minister a liar, the TMC MP wrote on X: "You gave our delegation an appointment. You vetted all names, checked each one off before allowing us to enter, made us wait for 3 hours & then ran away via the back door."
On Friday, Moitra reiterated the party's stance to carry on with the fight, stating that the protest will continue till the state gets its funds. "We launched the protests in Delhi, which are being continued in Bengal. We are waiting for the governor to return," Moitra told reporters on Friday.
Banerjee too echoed Moitra's statement as the party continued their indefinite sit-in outside the Raj Bhavan. "I will stay here and won't move an inch until the honourable governor meets our delegation and answers these two questions," the Lok Sabha MP from Diamond Harbour said.
He also posted on X, "After raising our voices in Delhi, we seek justice from the ZAMINDARS of BJP! How long will it take for the self-proclaimed custodians of democracy to answer the people? For how long will you keep running away from the people? Clock is ticking. Bengal is waiting."
Since Friday morning, thousands of party workers from various parts of the state arrived at the venue and expressed their solidarity with the agitation programme.
BJP reacts
Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said the party has been trying to dismantle the Constitution in the state. "The TMC has set his evil eyes on the Constitutional Authority. Section 144 is supposed to be imposed till 150 metres from the boundary of the Raj Bhavan. They have not only violated this in connivance with the police, by taking their march within the periphery of the area wherein it is imposed but have now camped at the site. The security of the governor is being jeopardized for cheap political drama," the Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Assembly said.