'Manhandled And Mercilessly Dragged': TMC On Being Detained By Police On Protest Day 2

Mamata Banerjee's party has raised allegations that its Members of Parliament (MPs) and state cabinet leaders faced mistreatment, including being "manhandled and mercilessly dragged" by the police on the second day of their protest in Delhi over central funds.

The Trinamool Congress, which had organized a sit-in demonstration at the Union Rural Development Ministry, asserted that the Minister of State, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, declined to meet them, citing a limit of meeting no more than five representatives.

Trinamool leaders, armed with bundles of letters addressed to the Prime Minister and the Rural Development Minister, were determined not to leave until they had an audience with the Minister. Led by Mamata Banerjee's nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, a group comprising party MPs and state cabinet ministers continued their dharna, which persisted until 9 p.m.

According to the party's account, the police intervened at this juncture and detained several leaders. Mahua Moitra, an MP, exclaimed, "Ek MP ke saath aisa kar rahe hai aap log (You are doing this to an MP)," as she was carried away by female police officers.

In a video released by ANI, TMC National General Secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee in Delhi could be seen saying, "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."

The Trinamool Congress, which holds power in West Bengal, has made a serious accusation against the BJP-led NDA government. They claim that the central government, under the leadership of the BJP, has withheld ₹15,000 crore in payments owed to the state. These funds are related to two major welfare programs: the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PM Awas Yojana).

In response, the BJP has rejected these allegations, accusing the TMC of orchestrating a "drama" in Delhi to divert attention from their alleged scandals in West Bengal.