Derek O'Brien, Abhishek Banerjee, Mahua Moitra and several other leaders of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) were detained by the Delhi Police on Tuesday, 3 October, the second day of the party's protest against the Centre in the national capital.
Several TMC leaders took to X to upload visuals of the incident, claiming that party leaders were "dragged" and "manhandled". While one video shows protesters being taken away via a van, another shows Delhi Police personnel forcefully removing TMC MP Mahua Moitra from the protest site.
"Ek MP ke saath aisa kar rahe hai aap log (You are doing this to an MP)," a woman was heard saying in the video in reference to Moitra.
Yet another video shows police officials detaining TMC General Secretary and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee.
"This is how elected MPs of the world’s largest democracy are treated after being given an appointment to meet with a Minister of the Govt of India (which she refused to honour after making us wait 3 hours)," Moitra took to X to say along with a video of her detention.
Why is the TMC protesting? TMC leaders have been protesting against the Centre in Delhi since Monday over the latter's refusal to provide funds to the state. Specifically, the party has alleged that the Centre has been withholding Rs 15,000 crore in dues to the state under schemes like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and PM Awas Yojana.
What Led To the Detention?
On Tuesday, the TMC was holding a dharna at the Union Rural Development Ministry, demanding a meeting with Minister of State Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti in connection with their demands. According to the TMC, Jyoti said that she would not meet more than five of their representatives.
However, party leaders refused to leave the venue without meeting the minister. Minutes later, police officials "forcefully" removed them from the protest site.
Claims-counterclaims: Meanwhile, Jyoti said that she had given the TMC an appointment to meet in the evening, but left her office when they did not turn up even two hours after the pre-decided time.
"Today I left the office at 08:30 while waiting for the Trinamool MPs. According to my information, the delegation of Trinamool MPs and Bengal ministers had taken an appointment in the office at 06:00," the minister took to X to say.
However, Moitra countered Jyoti's claims, alleging that TMC leaders were made to wait for three hours, and even after that she did not meet them.
"Sorry @SadhviNiranjan you are a lying so and so (and I am being polite). You gave our delegation an appointment . You vetted all names, checked each one off before allowing us to enter, made us wait 3 hrs & then ran away via the back door," Moitra said on X shortly after her detention.
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