Dipaneeta Das
Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday led a sit-in protest at Dharmatala's Y-Channel, turning the heart of Kolkata into a political battleground amid growing tensions within the party and allegations of post-poll intimidation by political opponents. The dharna, called by the Trinamool Congress over alleged attacks on party leaders and workers following the recent elections, drew senior party leaders, legislators and hundreds of supporter.
The protest, however, was preceded by uncertainty over venue permissions. Banerjee had initially announced the programme at Rani Rashmoni Avenue, but police later indicated that permission could be granted only at Y-Channel and asked the party to submit a fresh application. The development triggered a political row, with TMC leaders accusing the administration of creating obstacles for a democratic protest.
"Democratic protests were being obstructed…Don’t bulldoze us or our democracy and Constitution…Don’t compel us to take a big decision," she warned.
Arriving at the protest venue shortly after paying floral tributes to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's statue on Red Road, Banerjee was accompanied by several senior party figures, including Madan Mitra, Kunal Ghosh, Kalyan Banerjee and Dola Sen. By then, a sizeable gathering of party workers had assembled at Y-Channel, raising slogans in support of the Trinamool Congress.
"Arrest me if you want. The TMC will hold its protest on June 2 even without police permission, microphones or a stage. If we are not allowed to protest in Kolkata, we will protest in Delhi," the former CM said on Monday during a Facebook Live.
Addressing supporters from an old bus-stop structure, Banerjee alleged that attempts were being made to weaken and divide the Trinamool Congress through intimidation and administrative pressure. She claimed that elected representatives were facing coercion and that efforts were underway to engineer a split within the party. “No amount of propaganda can manufacture this kind of connection with the people. It is built on years of trust, compassion and unwavering commitment to Bengal,” she believed. According to Banerjee, certain leaders were being pressured to leave the Trinamool and align with alternative political formations.
The TMC chief also accused her political opponents of pursuing what she described as "bulldozer politics" in West Bengal. While sharply criticising those allegedly responsible for the pressure campaign, Banerjee refrained from blaming the police directly, stating that officers often act according to administrative instructions. At the same time, she warned against restricting access to the protest venue and asserted that democratic rights could not be curtailed. “Eviction of hawkers without rehabilitation was not TMC govt's policy, we took humane approach,” Banerjee said adding, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has left Bengal “in hands of anti-socials, bulldozer-happy politicians, pushing state into darkness.”
The dharna comes at a politically sensitive moment for the Trinamool Congress. Recent meetings of the party's legislative wing have fuelled speculation about internal differences, with the absence of a significant number of legislators at a key gathering triggering discussions about organisational cohesion. The protest was widely seen as an attempt by Banerjee to rally the party rank and file and project unity in the face of mounting political challenges.
Police maintained a strong presence around the protest site, with barricades and a sizeable deployment of personnel, including women officers, in and around Y-Channel. Authorities had granted permission for the programme between 2 pm and 5 pm and kept a close watch on the proceedings to ensure that traffic and public movement in the central business district remained unaffected.
The Dharmatala dharna also marks Banerjee's latest return to a form of street politics that has long been central to her political identity. The Y-Channel protest follows closely on the heels of her earlier sit-in over electoral roll revision and voter rights issues.
