A bus carrying Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers for the MGNREGA protest in Delhi met with an accident in Jharkhand on Sunday. The bus veered off the road and ended up in a field beside the highway, resulting in minor injuries to some passengers. The workers were taken back to Purulia town in West Bengal for medical treatment.
TMC accuse BJP for cancellation of trains
Following the accident, senior West Bengal Minister Shashi Panja accused the BJP of compelling the ruling party in Bengal to arrange buses for transportation since a special train was not allocated.
The TMC claimed that since the Railways did not provide a special train, the party had organized 49 buses to transport the protesters to Delhi. They were demanding the state's dues from the BJP-led central government under the 100-day job guarantee program as part of MGNREGA.
Bengal's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president and MP Sukanta Majumdar took a dig at TMC. He posted pictures of the damaged bus along with a woman, who is seen bleeding from the side of her nose. "A Volvo bus got into an accident at Kodarma and many of our fellow citizens got injured. The way TMC leaders are enjoying the luxury of flights and pushing these innocent people to the brink of life risk, it is condemnable. Please feel free to contact me for any assistance needed," Majumdar's post on X read.
Protest at Rajghat
The TMC will hold a peaceful sit-in by its MPs and state ministers at Rajghat on October 2, and a peaceful rally of the MGNREGA job card holders the next day. Both the programmes will be live streamed.
The party workers are demanding the release of funds by the Centre to the beneficiaries in West Bengal of the various schemes such as the MGNREGA, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).
'Testament to BJP's fear'
The ruling party had earlier alleged that its request for a special train to transport MGNREGA job card holders from West Bengal to New Delhi for a protest against the Centre for "withholding funds" was declined by railway authorities. The TMC claimed that the denial of the special train is "another pitiful attempt" by the BJP to stop MGNREGA beneficiaries from reaching New Delhi.
"Yet another piteous attempt to stop us! The Eastern Railway authorities have denied our request for a special train to take the deprived MGNREGA and Awas Yojana beneficiaries to Delhi. However, their devious tactics won't deter our commitment to secure Bengal's rightful dues! Our fight for justice shall reach Delhi under any circumstances. Jitna bhi rokne ki koshish karlo, hum datte rahenge, jhukenge nahi ! (Try how much you can, we will not change and not bow to you)" the party posted on 'X'.
TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee called it a "testament to BJP's fear" of the party. "Shocking display of deceit : The BJP government shamelessly denied to provide a special train after accepting the deposit. This blatant obstruction of WB's right to protest for rightful dues is a glaring testament to its fear. Love seeing them cower before the people of West Bengal," he posted on "X".
A senior Eastern Railway official said no official request was received from any political party. "We had received a request from the IRCTC and we had informed that such a rake is not available".
(With PTI inputs)
