BJP govt will be removed from Centre in coming days: Mamata Banerjee

Speaking at a meeting of TMC MLAs at her residence, Mamata alleged that minority communities and roadside hawkers are being targeted by the newly formed BJP government in West Bengal.

In Short

• Mamata Banerjee says minorities being targeted by Suvendu govt
• Abhishek Banerjee addresses demolition notice sent by civic body
• TMC to launch agitation against eviction of hawkers in Kolkata

Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said that it will soon be "removed from power in Delhi," with her nephew and Lok Sabha MP, Abhishek Banerjee, who recently received a demolition notice over alleged unauthorised construction, saying that he won't give in to any form of intimidation.

Speaking at a meeting of TMC MLAs at her residence, Mamata alleged that minority communities and roadside hawkers are being targeted by the newly formed BJP government in West Bengal. "Minority communities are being targeted. Hawkers stalls are being bulldozed," she said, referring to alleged instances of post-poll violence and action against illegal encroachment in recent days in various parts of the state.

"This government is tampering with our constitutional ideas and values," Mamata claimed, criticising the Suvendu Adhikari-led state government. She also suggested that the BJP, which leads the country's ruling National Democratic Alliance, will lose power in the Centre in the near future. "BJP will be removed from power in Delhi in coming days," she remarked.

ABHISHEK BANERJEE'S DARE TO BJP

The meeting chaired by Mamata was also attended by Abhishek, who is also the national general secretary of the TMC. He addressed the notice sent to him by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), which has directed him to demolish "unauthorized parts" of his house in south Kolkata.

The TMC leader said, "Let them do whatever they want... raze down my home, send notice; I won't bow down over these things. Come what may, fight will continue against BJP." It is worth mentioning here that the KMC, which sent the demolition notice, is still under the control of the TMC, and party MLA Firhad Hakim, considered a close aide of Mamata, is the mayor of Kolkata.

Abhishek also took a dig at CM Adhikari, referencing the controversial Narada sting operation from 2014, when the latter was still in the TMC. "Our state had many chief ministers but none like the current one. The one who was seen taking money on camera has been made CM," the TMC parliamentary said.

The meeting came as the TMC plans to launch on May 21 a series of protests against forceful eviction of hawkers, and what it describes as "bulldozer culture unleashed by BJP." The protests will be organised at three locations in and around Kolkata – near Ballygunge, Howrah Junction, and the Sealdah railway station.

- Ends