Mamata asks Trinamool women to sit in dharna against release of Bilkis Bano rape convicts

All India Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee reportedly asked all women party leaders to go on a 48-hour dharna demanding the arrest of 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano rape case.

The convicts were recently released by the Gujarat government, as part of prisoner release on Independence Day. The release triggered criticism across the country and parties.

Addressing a congregation of the party’s student wing in Kolkata, Banerjee asked the party’s leading women leaders to sit on a two-day protest dharna at Kolkata’s Gandhi Murti.

Read | Bilkis Bano remission order part of erasing truth of 2002 riots: SC Lawyer

The Trinamool chief also said that the Centre had sent letters to state governments regarding release of prisoners as the country commemorated 75 years of Independence—but didn’t hint that Gujarat will remit such (category of) prisoners.

Recalling how governments led by Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi faced defeats despite strong numbers in their favour, Banjeree said that the Bharatiya Janata Party has around 300 MPs. On Monday, Banerjee, on Monday, also reiterated her pledge to throw BJP out of power in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

“BJP has lost Bihar, and is likely to lose two to four states. When the time for elections comes, it will be left with zero leaders,” Banerjee said, and reiterated that “Trinamool will fight with courage and remove BJP from power at Delhi”.

“Saving Bengal is our first fight. Keeping Bengal safe, and when none (of the parties) is in a position to fight at the Centre, we pledge that in 2024 we will remove the BJP from there,” Banerjee said.

Read | Some BJP leaders come out in support of Bilkis Bano, say release of convicts wrong

Banerjee, in her speech, didn’t seem to be affected by the tumultuous times faced by the Trinamool—two of its senior leaders jailed and then under the scanner of central investigating agencies.

“I came into politics to serve the people,” Banerjee said, alleging that parties in the opposition were attempting to malign her image by associating her name with everything unpleasant they could think of.

“You (BJP) toppled the government in Maharashtra. Who gave the money, where did it come from? You had wanted to topple the government in Jharkhand… Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has stated that to topple his government, a Rs 800-crore plan was made. To topple the Bengal government, they have made the CBI-ED plan,” Banerjee announced, warning that if the Centre called state’s officers subjecting them to harassment, then the state too had cases of corruption against the CBI, ED, CRPF, and BSF officials, and legal action will be taken against the central officers.