TMC will take MGNREGA job card holders to Delhi in special buses for protests in Delhi

New Delhi: A senior leader of the TMC stated on Saturday that the TMC has organized special buses that will carry about 5,000 MGNREGA job card holders to Delhi for the TMC's scheduled protest program next week over alleged withholding of payments by the Centre. Senior TMC politician Abhishek Banerjee declared on Friday that his party will make alternate plans to get supporters to Delhi for the October 3 protest program, accusing the BJP of putting up roadblocks after rejecting his request for a special train.

According to Abhishek Banerjee, we were refused a special train, so we arranged for special buses to transport MNREGA workers to Delhi. We are also preparing pilot cars to ensure safety because the buses will travel through BJP-ruled states.TMC sources further stated that each bus will also have a TMC leader and worker who will be responsible for the 100-day job card holders. Emergency medical assistance has also been made available.The party has also planned for his stay in New Delhi.

Earlier on Friday, the TMC said that the railways refused their request for a special train from West Bengal to New Delhi for the protest event. Eastern Railway said that it had received the request from IRCTC and that the denial was due to a lack of available coaches.Noting that around 2.65 crore people in West Bengal hold MNREGA job cards, Banerjee stated that thousands of them had gathered in Kolkata from various regions of the state to seek their dues in Delhi. "We had applied for a train on September 23 to take them to Delhi, but today we were not given permission," he added.

Banerjee further stated that over 5,000 people were scheduled to go to Delhi on September 30 on a special train reserved by the party. They stated that as part of the program in Delhi, party MPs, MLAs, and leaders from several districts in West Bengal will pay respect to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat on his birthday on October 2.The chief minister, who was supposed to attend the ceremony, would most likely not go since doctors had instructed her to rest for 10 days after she injured her left knee during her recent two-nation vacation.