West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in a late night post on X, slammed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saying Delhi Police, acting as the BJP's strong-arm. Her comment came hours after top TMC leaders, including Abhishek Banerjee detained in Delhi when they staged protest against Centre inside Krishi Bhavan in Delhi.
"Today is a dark, sinister day for democracy, a day when @BJP4India revealed their disdain for the people of Bengal, their disregard for the rights of the poor and a complete abandonment of democratic values," her post read.
Banerjee alleged the Centre of callously withheld crucial funds meant for the poor of Bengal and when her party delegation staged peaceful protest they were subjected to brutality.
"First, they callously withheld crucial funds meant for the poor of Bengal and when our delegation arrived in Delhi, determined to peacefully protest and draw attention to the plight of our people, they were met with brutality – first at Rajghat and then at Krishi Bhavan," she wrote in the X post.
Banerjee slams Delhi Police
TMC chief said the Delhi Police, acting as the BJP's strong-arm, shamelessly manhandled our representatives who were forcibly removed and whisked away in police vans like common criminals, all because they dared to speak truth to power.
"Their arrogance knows no bounds and their pride and egotism have blinded them. They have now crossed all limits to repress the voice of Bengal!," she added.
Police detention of TMC leaders
Abhishek Banerjee along with other party leaders were detained in Delhi during their protest against the Centre over the release of funds for West Bengal. Banerjee, Derek O'Brien, Mahua Moitra along with other leaders were protesting inside Krishi Bhavan in Delhi when they were detained. During the protest, Banerjee claimed that Minister of State for Rural Development Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti did not meet them even after giving an appointment.
Speaking on the matter, Banerjee said, "...We were scheduled to meet Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti at 6 pm today, we waited for 90 minutes, after which we were informed that she will not be able to meet us. Sadhvi Niranjan met Suvendu Adhikari today at 4 pm but we were made to wait here. If she doesn't want to meet us, then it's okay, but we will not go anywhere from here, we will remain sitting here."
"TMC MPs and Bengal Government Ministers led by Abhishek Banerjee have just now been manhandled and mercilessly dragged from the Ministry of Rural Development by Delhi Police and detained," TMC Rajya Sabha member Saket Gokhale said.
"After inviting us and keeping us waiting for three hours, MoS Sadhvi Niranjan quietly slipped out of her office without a meeting. When we protested, Delhi Police, CISF, and RAF manhandled the entire delegation and everyone is now under detention. What sort of fear is this (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and (Union Home Minister Amit) Shah?" Gokhale said.
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