West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is leading a ‘padayatra’ in Siliguri to protest on Sunday against the rising prices of essential commodities such as fuel and LPG cylinders.
Coincidently, the ‘padayatra’ comes on the same day as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address his first rally in poll-bound in West Bengal. Mamata reached Siliguri from Kolkata on Saturday and informed that thousands of men and women are likely to descend at Darjeeling More at 1 pm and the protest march will start from there.
Mamata went on to claim that the LPG cylinders would be beyond the reach of the common man. “We need to organise massive demonstrations to make our voices heard. Many of those taking part in the rally will carry empty LPG cylinders to mark the protest,” she said. Top leaders of the TMC including TMC MP Mimi Chakraborty will take part in the rally.
Last month, Mamata surprised many by riding pillion on an electric scooter to work. She said that she took the electric scooter ride to work as the prices of petrol and diesel are up. She claimed out that nearly one crore people in West Bengal use Kerosene which is not available now. Mamata lashed out at the Centre for being ‘anti-people’. “Modi is selling the country. This government is anti-people, anti-women, anti-farmer, and anti-young generation. We want this government to go,” she said.
West Bengal’s 294 Assembly seats will go to polls in eight phases beginning from March 27 to April 29 and the results will be declared on May 2. It is a fierce fight between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Trinamool Congress. It is an important election for the BJP as they are hoping to form a government in West Bengal. Many TMC MLAs and MPs have already jumped ship to the BJP giving the party a much need boost. Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, former Rajya Sabha MP and actor Mithun Chakraborty has joined the BJP in the presence of senior officials.
