TMC to hold two-hour-long silent protest against 'attack' on Mamata Banerjee today

File Photo

Kolkata: Members of Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday (March 11) announced that the party would hold a two-hour-long 'silent protest' tomorrow. The announcement for the silent protest comes a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was injured during her Nandigram campaign.

"Tomorrow from 3pm-5pm we will raise black flags and cover our mouths with black bands as a mark of silent protest, condemning the incident," said Partha Chatterjee, West Bengal minister.

Earlier, Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday (March 10) alleged that she was attacked by four-five men who pushed her during her campaign in Nandigram. The West Bengal Chief Minister, who is currently undergoing treatment at a state-run SSKM Hospital in Kolkata, also issued a video statement from the hospital on Thursday (March 11).

In the video message, West Bengal CM can be seen urging people, party workers to be calm and exercise restraint. She also said she will not be affecting her election work for the injury but will have to remain wheel-chair-bound for some time.

"We have noticed how West Bengal is being ignored by the Election Commission. Other than Bengal all (the other 3 states & 1 UT that will undergo elections) have minimum phases in the voting schedule," added Mukherjee in her address to the media.

Additionally, a delegation of TMC, consisting of TMC MP Derek O'Brien and TMC Secretary General Partha Chatterjee, also filed a complaint with the Election Commission in Kolkata over the alleged attack on the CM. 

"When the Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken over the law and order machinery in the state in the name of conducting elections, appropriated the whole governance structure, summarily removed and replaced the Director General of Police without any consultation with the state government, at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the person of the CM and a candidate from Nandigram, West Bengal who is Z plus protectee is threatened," the complaint letter read.

Following the alleged attack, Mamata’s party postponed the release of its manifesto for the upcoming state assembly elections.

Meanwhile, the assembly elections in West Bengal are scheduled to be held in eight phases. The voting for phase 1 for 30 constituencies will take place on March 27, voting for phase 2 for 30 constituencies will be held on April 1. 

The polling for phase 3 for 31 seats will take place on April 6, for phase 4 for 44 constituencies on April 10, for phase 5 for 45 constituencies on April 17, for phase 6 for 43 constituencies on April 22, for phase 7 for 36 constituencies on April 26 and for phase 8 for 35 constituencies on April 29.