"TMC leaders were requested to vacate Samadhi Sthal peacefully", says Delhi Police

"On this very important day of the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, thousands of people were visiting Rajghat - the Samadhi Sthal - to pay homage. TMC leaders were requested not to sit at Samadhi Sthal. Despite repeated requests, they were not listening. Due to that public entry was affected and that resulted in a gathering of people around Samadhi Sthal. Therefore, to avoid public inconvenience as well as in the interest of their own safety, TMC leaders were requested to vacate the samadhi Sthal peacefully, Delhi police said.

The TMC is holding a mega protest in the national capital against the central government for stopping the disbursement of MGNREGA funds to the state government.

Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday hit back at Union Minister Anurag Thakur, saying, "How much money has the central government collected from West Bengal?"

"Anurag Thakur says that they gave Rs 2 lakh crore. But the question is, how much amount have they taken from West Bengal? They have been in power for nine years, and they have taken at least Rs 5-7 lakh crore from West Bengal. You have taken money from the state and are keeping it deprived of rights," Banerjee said.

Speaking about the protest at Raj Ghat, the TMC leader said, "The way they misbehaved and manhandled it clearly shows that BJP is scared...If the people feel that those who we elected to power have stopped the funds and there is a need to change the government, no one can stop that from happening..."

"The police lathi-charged women protesters. They tried to turn the protest violent. They were continuously asking us to get up when we were sitting there peacefully. They were treating us as a commodity. We did not engage in any political sloganeering, nor did we speak. Only MPs and MLAs were present there. At first, some of our supporters reached the place, but then on requesting they went away," Banerjee added. (ANI)