Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to cause a split in her party by pressuring all 80 legislators. Her first public demonstration since the assembly election defeat drew only a handful of sitting MPs and MLAs amid signs of growing dissent within the party.
Banerjee claimed that the BJP was using police and central agencies to lure TMC legislators into breaking away. She said, "You (the BJP) had split the ruling party in Maharashtra. You are doing the same here. Police are telling TMC MLAs to form a new party. Police are going to the homes of MLAs facing corruption charges and threatening them with federal agency investigations. Is this democracy?"
Amid reports that Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, the two expelled MLAs, were meeting others to engineer a split in the TMC, only nine sitting MPs and MLAs attended the demonstration. Several former ministers and MLAs once considered close to Banerjee stayed away.
Banerjee vowed to continue her political fight, saying, "Power is like a piece of paper to me. I believe in the people and my workers. We will fight back. I am a free bird now. I can go anywhere and start agitations whenever I please."
