The Trinamool Congress (TMC) held a demonstration at Metro Channel in Dharmatala on Friday under the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The protest focused on concerns regarding the alleged deletion of voters’ names from electoral rolls in West Bengal.
Nilkanta Thandhar, the Trinamool Congress president of Ward No. 2 of Sonamukhi Municipality in Bankura, had earlier started a 160-kilometre march towards Kolkata in protest against the alleged removal of voters’ names from the voter list. If the protest continues when he reaches the city, he plans to join the demonstration at Metro Channel. Thandhar has also announced that he may stage a protest in front of the Election Commission office if necessary.
Several prominent personalities were present on the stage during the protest, including Babul Supriyo, Kabir Suman and poet Joy Goswami.
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Menaka Guruswamy speaks on voting rights
Senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy addressed the gathering and began her speech with the slogans “Jay Bangla”, “Jay Sambidhan” and “Jay voting rights”.
During her speech, Guruswamy highlighted the importance of constitutional rights and equal citizenship, "The Constitution says everyone is same, given whatever the religion, gender, or caste, is, and every citizen has voting rights."
She also questioned the alleged removal of voters’ names and its impact on democracy.
"What is the meaning of 7 lakh citizens of Bengal will be adjudicated? If you don't have voting rights, then how can there be a free and fair election? Whom to vote for? We are fighting for this, will fight in every court, every Bengal citizen has voting rights, they will have, and they will vote", Guruswamy said.
Guruswamy ended her speech with the same slogans with which she had started.
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TMC Rajya Sabha nominations
The Trinamool Congress has also nominated Menaka Guruswamy and three others for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for March 16.
Apart from Guruswamy, the party has nominated minister Babul Supriyo, former West Bengal Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar and actor Koel Mallick as candidates for the Upper House.
“We are pleased to announce the candidature of Babul Supriyo, Rajeev Kumar (Former DGP, West Bengal), Menaka Guruswamy and Koel Mallick for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections", the TMC said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Menaka Guruswamy is a senior advocate of the Supreme Court and was among the lawyers who fought the landmark constitutional case that led to the decriminalisation of same-sex relations in India after Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was struck down in 2018.
