Call for peace in Bengal: from today, Mamata Banerjee, CPI-M and Congress to hold rallies, meetings

The ruling party in West Bengal, Trinamool Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist), as well the Congress will hold rallies and meetings over the coming few days to maintain calm across the state.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee will be part of a rally on Monday from BR Ambedkar statue on Red Road which will end at Jorasanko Thakurbari. On Tuesday, there will be a rally of the Trinamool Congress again, from Jadavpur 8B bus stand which will end at Jadubabur Bazar, Bhawanipore. Banerjee is expected to be part of this rally too.

On Wednesday, there will be another rally – in which Banerjee may not herself participate, but has asked senior leaders to be present – that will start from Howrah Maidan and end at Dorina crossing.

The CPI(M) has also planned to take out rallies all over the state – in which top leaders such as Surjya Kanta Mishra, Biman Bose and Mohammed Salim will be present – till December 19. A major rally and meeting will be organised in Kolkata on December 19.

Congress leaders said that they too have plans of taking out peace rallies and meetings in the state.

With protests taking place in different parts of the state opposing the Citizenship Act – and some of them taking rather violent turns – Banerjee had on Saturday issued a statement appealing to people to stay calm and not take the law in their own hands. Internet services were stopped in several parts of the state on Sunday, including parts of Murshidabad, Malda, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas. Sources said that the situation has improved and the government is hoping it will normalise gradually.

Addressing people in a video, she said, “This is my request to all of you to not spread confusion. Do not spread tension or act under provocation.” Banerjee’s Facebook page also stated that anyone vandalising public property and taking law into their own hands would be penalised and no one will be spared.