West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee calls agitating farmers, extends support

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday spoke to leaders of farmers’ groups who are agitating at Delhi’s Singhu border and assured them of full support from the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The chief minister spoke to the leaders over the phone and the call was facilitated by TMC MP Derek’ O Brien who was at the venue for nearly four hours.

“Your movement is our movement. It’s the movement of the entire country. Bengal stands by you. We will also hit the streets in support of your demands,” said Mamata. She also said that the agitating farmers agreed to her proposal of sending her own party workers to the venue of the protest in support of their movement.

She added that her party is totally against the amendments made to the Essential Commodities Act and want it to be withdrawn at the earliest.

“They (BJP) are trying to sell everything in the country. Together we will stop them and make this the India of farmers, of crops and of mothers and sisters,” said Mamata. She also said that she was confident that the farmers’ movement would successfully achieve its objectives.

Earlier in the day she expressed solidarity with the agitating farmers and also referred to her “26 day-long hunger strike” in demand of returning the land of unwilling farmers acquired by the then Left Front Government at Singur in Hooghly district for the Tata Nano car factory.

“14 years ago on 4 Dec 2006, I began my 26-day hunger strike in Kolkata demanding that agricultural land cannot be forcefully acquired. I express my solidarity with all farmers who are protesting against draconian farm bills passed without consultation by Centre,” tweeted Mamata.