Former West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Saturday appealed to opposition parties across the country to come together against the Bharatiya Janata Party, accusing the ruling party of creating an atmosphere of fear and intimidation in the state.
Speaking in Kolkata during a gathering held to mark the birth anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, Banerjee said the political fight against the BJP had entered a new phase. Addressing party supporters and local residents outside her residence, she urged political parties, civil society groups and NGOs to unite in what she described as a moral and political battle.
According to Banerjee, the situation in the state had become increasingly tense since the BJP assumed power. She alleged that several Trinamool Congress workers were being harassed and forced to leave their homes. The TMC leader claimed that women, elderly citizens and grassroots party supporters were facing intimidation and were not receiving adequate protection.
Banerjee also alleged that authorities did not grant permission for events to celebrate Tagore’s birth anniversary at several locations in Kolkata. As a result, the programme had to be organised outside the party office. She described the move as an attempt to suppress opposition voices and called it a sign of “pure autocracy.”
The TMC supremo said many organisers and decorators were reportedly pressured not to cooperate with the event. Despite the difficulties, she insisted that her party would continue to raise its voice against what she termed political repression.
Banerjee further claimed that several opposition leaders across the country had reached out to express their support. Among those she mentioned were Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Uddhav Thackeray, Tejashwi Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav, Hemant Soren and Arvind Kejriwal.
She said the fight against the BJP required a broad alliance of political parties, social organisations and democratic institutions. Banerjee emphasized that ideological differences should not stand in the way of protecting democratic values.
During her address, she also raised concerns about alleged threats to several TMC leaders and their families. She referred to reports that relatives of TMC MP Mahua Moitra and the party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee had received threats amid the tense political atmosphere.
Banerjee claimed that her own security cover and communication services were withdrawn shortly after the BJP government took charge. She suggested that the circumstances surrounding the election results would be challenged through legal channels.
The TMC chief said her party was preparing for both a political and legal battle in the coming months. She noted that several prominent legal experts had extended support to the party, including senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Prashant Bhushan and Menaka Guruswamy.
Banerjee also announced that families affected by alleged post-poll violence would receive assistance through the party’s July 21 Benevolent Fund. The initiative, she said, would help provide both financial aid and legal support to those who had suffered losses. Senior TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee would oversee the legal aspects of the initiative.
Reiterating her appeal, Banerjee said the opposition must come together to defend democratic institutions and ensure that people’s voices continue to be heard. She added that the coming months would be crucial for the future of the state’s politics and the broader national opposition movement.