Abhishek Banerjee leads TMC protest at Rajghat pressing Centre to release MGNREGA funds

New Delhi : Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee along with party workers and leaders sat on a dharna at the Rajghat here on Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary on Monday demanding the release of funds for West Bengal by the Centre.

The Lok Sabha MP, accompanied by hundreds of men and women from the party including MPs, MLAs and ministers who had arrived from West Bengal to take part in the protest, paid tributes at the memorial. Banerjee held a black placard demanding that the Centre "release fund for Bengal". Another placard read 'Bengal Deprived: 1 lakh 15 thousand crore families, Rs. 15,000 crore owed'.

The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal has accused the BJP-led NDA government of withholding Rs 15,000 crore in dues to the state under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and PM Awas Yojana. Biswajit Dev, a spokesperson of the Trinamool Congress and member of the party's state committee, accused the Centre of destroying the rural employment scheme MGNREGA and said it's an insult to Mahatma Gandhi, after whom the scheme has been named. "Is this democracy? Centre is using schemes for political benefits," he alleged.

"This is an insult to the poor people and to Mahatma Gandhi after whom MNREGA has been named," Dev told PTI. Chaiti Barman Barua, a TMC leader from Coochbihar said, they have come to Delhi to make their voice heard. "People are suffering and the central government has not paid attention to the issue. We have come here to make our voices heard," she said.

Joy Banerjee, who came from Purulia in West Bengal, alleged that the many trains and flights by which the TMC leaders were scheduled to come to Delhi were cancelled. "We are here to make our voices heard by the Centre, not for any confrontation. Why is the BJP so worried?" he said.

Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee was scheduled to attend the programme in New Delhi, but is unlikely to go there as she has been advised ten days of rest by doctors after she suffered an injury in her left knee during a recent trip to Spain and Dubai. The chief minister held a two-day sit-in in March this year against the Centre's alleged move of "not releasing funds" to the state for MGNREGA and other welfare schemes.