TMC, TDP held separate demonstrations in Delhi on 'Gandhi Jayanti'

In protests pregnant with political symbolism, the Trinamool Congress and TDP on Monday held separate demonstrations in the national capital on 'Gandhi Jayanti' demanding the release of funds to West Bengal and protesting against the arrest of N Chandrababu Naidu respectively.

Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee led a dharna of party MPs and leaders at Raj Ghat, Mahatma Gandhi's memorial on his birth anniversary while the party will hold a protest in Jantar Mantar on Tuesday.

The Trinamool wanted to make the protest big in the capital but there were hiccups as the Railways cancelled special trains booked by the party to ferry protesters from Bengal. However, they organised buses for party workers to reach Delhi. At Raj Ghat, Banerjee held a placard 'Release Funds for Bengal'.

While Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee chose to stay back in Kolkata owing to medical issues, Banerjee and other leaders alleged that the BJP-led NDA government of withholding Rs 15,000 crore in dues to the state under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and PM Awas Yojana.

TDP's Nara Lokesh sat on a hunger strike in Lodhi Estate here in protest against "illegal" arrest of his father and party chief N Chandrababu Naidu in a corruption case. A number of party MPs also joined him in the protest.