New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday showcased her singing skills on the second day of her two-day sit-in dharna in Kolkata against the Centre’s alleged discriminatory behaviour towards Bengal. The demonstration will continue till today evening.
In a video shared by ANI, the Bengal CM was seen singing 'Ebar Tor Mora Gange', a song by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, along with other party workers and leaders during the sit-in demonstration.
The demonstration is being held in front of BR Ambedkar’s statue on Red Road in central Kolkata.
"I am working for people. I am fighting for the people whose money has been stopped for 100 days' work. I am sitting for the rights of common people whose money has been blocked by the Centre. If required, Mamata can even sit on dharma near the PM's house. I have the courage," the Trinamool supremo said during her sit-in agitation against the Centre.
Banerjee alleged that the Centre has not released funds for the MGNREGA project for the state and other initiatives of its housing and road departments.
"The Centre has stopped releasing funds for MGNREGA and Indira Awas Yojana (Grameen). Besides, it has also stopped scholarships for OBC students," she said on Tuesday while launching a project to construct 12,000 km of rural roads, reported news agency PTI.
Hitting out at the central government, she claimed that the Centre has not released over Rs 7,000 crores pending under MGNREGA despite West Bengal topping the list of states in completing the work under the initiative.
The attack on the BJP by the TMC came right ahead of the panchayat polls slated to be held in the next few months.
"The Centre has not released over Rs 7,000 crores pending under the MGNREGA scheme and has not given work to our people despite West Bengal topping the list of states in completing the work under the initiative… We believe jealousy or politics may be the reason behind this," she said.
"Hence, in protest against the Centre's discrimination against West Bengal, I, as the chief minister, will stage a sit-in demonstration in front of the statue of Dr B R Ambedkar in Kolkata from March 29 and continue it till the evening of March 30," she added.
Previously, she claimed that West Bengal had not received its due from the Centre, and that there was nothing for the eastern state in this year's budget.