“Amid ongoing protests by the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal over the Centre’s alleged delay in the allocation of funds under MGNREGA, TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Friday said that he would not take part in Durga Puja festivities till the state’s Governor meets him in Kolkata.

During the protest in front of the Raj Bhavan, Abhishek Banerjee said, “If we receive clarification on our queries before the Durga Puja, we will conclude the Raj Bhavan protest. However, if there is no clarification and we are not able to bring a smile to the faces of people and the beneficiaries, we too won’t smile. If our people don’t enjoy the festivities, we too won’t.”

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Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders, under the leadership of TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, organised the ‘Raj Bhavan Chalo Abhiyan’ in Kolkata on Thursday.

The TMC leaders during the protest said that the march to the Raj Bhavan had been organized to draw Governor C. V. Ananda Bose’s attention to the plight of the poor people of the state who have been deprived of their rights by the BJP-led central Government.

“We got to know through reporters that Raj Bhavan issued a statement saying: ‘Gherao Nahin, Ghar Aao’. First of all, I would like to clarify that this is not a Gherao, which happens at the gates. There are multiple gates to Raj Bhavan and we have not occupied any of those. Second, how can I visit his house when he is not present? How can someone who is not present at his own home invite me to it? If an invitation is extended, the invitee must be present. If I walk to Raj Bhavan, it will take me two minutes. But it would take him four hours to reach,” Abhishek Banerjee said.

Abhishek Banerjee also said that a delegation of TMC MPs will meet the Governor on Saturday to discuss the issues.

“We received an email from him (Governor) that he wishes to meet us at 5:30 pm tomorrow. Out of courtesy and our respect for the post of Governor and Bengal, Trinamool MPs Kalyan Banerjee, Mahua Moitra, and state Panchayat Minister Pradip Mazumdar will visit the Governor on Saturday,” Abhishek Banerjee said.

The TMC general secretary further asserted that the governor must give time to them so that they can take these 50 lakh letters from the beneficiaries to him.

“The delegation includes 10 beneficiaries who have been suffering due to this fund blockade. They want to meet the Governor and talk of their plight. They want to ask the Governor if he has asked the Centre to release Bengal’s due. The Governor may stay in Darjeeling for two days, weeks, or months. I will not leave this site till he meets us here and agrees to accept the 50 lakh letters from Bengal,” Abhishek Banerjee added.