Trinamool to take out anti-nrc rallies

KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress will conduct statewide rallies condemning NRC list in Assam on Saturday, but would keep Kolkata out of the agitation map in view of BJP’S national president Amit Shah’s rally in the city on the same day.

“Instead,” said Trinamool secretary general, Partha Chatterjee, “the protest rallies in Kolkata will be conducted on August 12.” While Mamata Banerjee has gone to the extent of alleging the citizenship screening exercise can lead to civil war and bloodshed, her party supporters will hold street meetings, protest marches, carry black flags, wear black badges in 22 districts of the state on Saturday.

“There is no inference to be drawn from the decision to organise the rally in Kolkata on Sunday instead of Saturday. It is a matter of courtesy that we are showing,” Chatterjee said.

BJP Bengal unit president Dilip Ghosh shot back, “We don’t want any courtesy. Trinamool has taken up the agitation programme to stop our workers in the districts from attending the rally. Mamata Banerjee is now afraid of our party.”

The saffron leaders also alleged that ruling party supporters prevented some of their workers from attending Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Midnapore on July 16.

Though he did not mention it, Chatterjee, who is education minister of Bengal, wanted to scotch frequent tongue wagging by the Left that Trinamool has a secret understanding with the BJP.