After parting ways with the UPA, Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on October1 led a major rally at the Jantar Mantar to protest against the anti-people" policies of the Congress-led government.
Ahead of today’s rally, TMC said, “The Jantar Mantar protest is against the UPA government's recent economic reforms and aimed at giving voice to the 'aam aadmi”.
"It is not a dharna, it is a protest rally. All our MPs will protest, but I have not brought anyone from Bengal," Mamata Banerjee, Trinamool supremo and West Bengal chief minister, said.
Speaking to reporters, senior TMC leader KD Singh said, “Sensex is not the index of people's happiness, those who are happy with the Sensex going up want only money. Didi (Banerjee) is concerned about the 'aam aadmi', and this rally is to raise their voice."
“The protest is against the recent government decisions to allow foreign investment in multi-brand retail, increase the price of diesel and put a cap of subsidised LPG,” he said.
He said the demonstration was part of the party's resolve to show solidarity with the 'aam admi' who has been hurt the most by such decisions.
"Withdrawing from the UPA was the first step. A series of protests have been planned in the coming days till the decisions are withdrawn," he said.
When asked whether Trinamool Congress would support a resolution in Parliament against FDI if it is brought by BJP, former Railway Minister Mukul Roy evaded a direct reply.
Meanwhile, the ruling Congress on October 1hit back at the TMC for opposing the government’s key decisions that were necessary for growth.
Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office V Narayanasamy said the decisions were necessary for economic growth and to create employment.
"Employment has not been created. The states cannot remain like that, the centre cannot remain like that. Centre has to march forward for the purpose of fulfilling the wishes and aspirations of the people of the country," Narayanasamy said.
In her Facebook post, Banerjee had recently said, "Let us fight the battle boldly and unitedly. In a democracy, people are supreme. Our voice is the voice of the people. We must raise our voice, so that the government must reconsider."
She said the party's fight for the cause of common people continued with the help of 'Maa, Mati, Manush' throughout the country.
Around 600 Trinamool supporters reached New Delhi last night. Also, 1000 Trinamool supporters from Haryana, 2000 from Uttar Pradesh along with party MLAs from Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur are expected to be present during today’s rally. The Delhi Police has given Banerjee's party permission for 5000 people at the venue.
TMC, which has 19 members in the Lok Sabha, pulled out its six ministers from the government on September 21, and withdrew support to the UPA on these issues.
So far, the response to the rally has been tepid, though organisers say that supporters from neighbouring states will be joining in. Delhi Police has given permission for a gathering of 5,000 people.
On display at the rally are banners critical of the government's decision to allow FDI in retail - "Don't cheat people, don't kill people", "reduce prices of cooking gas, save lives of aam admi," read some of them. Several party leaders are already on stage; supporters are carrying party flags and placards with anti-government slogans.
Around 1000 Trinamool supporters from Haryana, 2000 from Uttar Pradesh, and the party's student leaders and supporters from West Bengal, apart from MLAs from Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur are taking part in the rally.
NDA's Sharad Yadav shares Mamata's stage at anti-FDI rally Ms Banerjee, in symbolic, loaded gesture, also announced on Sunday that she is giving up her government flat in central Delhi, which she got as an MP and had used for the last 19 years.
Trinamool leaders say the rally at Jantar Mantar today demonstrates the party's solidarity with the 'aam
aadmi' against the "anti-people" decisions of the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government at the Centre.The cover photo on Ms Banerjee's Facebook page is the Trinamool's banner for today's rally - it reads, "All India Trinamool Congress protests against Retail FDI, Diesel Price Hike, LPG Subsidy Cap, Fertilizer Price Hike." Ms Banerjee, who is also West Bengal Chief Minister had used this Facebook page to ask people to join her rally and bring friends with them. On Saturday she posted, "Looting is on in the name of aam admi and reforms."
Meanwhile, in an apparent counter to Ms Banerjee's anti-reform rally, the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee organised an interaction session with Commerce Minister Anand Sharma in Delhi today, where he defended FDI in retail. The minister also stressed that BJP leaders didn't have farmers' interests on their mind while opposing FDI in retail, which he claimed will benefit them. He also said the BJP had "double standards" as it had once supported 100 per cent FDI in retail.
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, also present at the interaction, said, "Delhi wants FDI in retail. You can be our enemies....but I request our opposition to not be the enemies of the country, the people of this country. The Congress is the only party which has taken a tough decision like this but we know that the benefits will be immense."
She also announced that Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will address public rallies to explain the issue of FDI in retail.
A day ahead of today's rally, former Railway Minister and Trinamool leader Mukul Roy had warned the Centre that his party's agitation would spark a movement across the country against the Manmohan Singh government's decisions to allow Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail, hike diesel prices and put a cap on the number of subsidised LPG cylinders.
"There will be country-wide protests after this. Tomorrow is just the beginning," Mr Roy said in Delhi. He also asserted that the Trinamool Congress does not want support from any other party in their protest. "They are doing politics. Our leader feels for the people," the Trinamool MP said.
Reacting to the Trinamool's call for a rally in the national capital, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, V Narayanasamy, hit out at party chief Ms Banerjee and condemned her decision to oppose the reforms. He also said that West Bengal has seen no development since Ms Banerjee came to power in the state. "After Mamata Banerjee came to power in West Bengal, there is no industrial development and no jobs were created. A state cannot remain like that. The Centre cannot remain like that. The Centre has to march forward for the purpose of fulfilling the wishes and aspirations of the people," he said.
Today's protest comes nearly two weeks after Ms Banerjee announced her decision to pull out from the Congress-led UPA government. A few days after that announcement, Ms Banerjee formally withdrew from the alliance along with her 19 MPs, leaving the UPA scrounging for numbers in the Lok Sabha. It is currently safe, propped up by external support from Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati.
Several parties including UPA ally Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party, and opposition parties including the BJP, JD(U) and the Left Front had held a massive protest rally on September 20 against the Centre's reforms.
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