Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said nothing will keep her from protecting the democratic rights of the people.
Addressing a TMC rally at Hazra here in south Kolkata, Ms Banerjee said, “I am hurt and unwell, but my goal remains (remaining steadfast to her cause and people of Bengal). My body is full of bruises.”
“I will continue to roam around Bengal on this wheelchair. If I go on bed rest, who will reach out to the people of Bengal?” she said
The chief minister, who is restricted to wheelchair due to the injury she sustained on her left leg while campaigning in her constituency in Nadigram on March 10, said her pain for democracy was greater than her body injury.
The TMC supremo said, “I will never bow down. Remember, a wounded tiger is extremely dangerous.”
The chief minister, who held the five-kilometre roadshow from Mayo Road to Hazra More, also revealed that she is contesting the upcoming assembly polls in West Bengal from Nandigram to pay tributes to those who lost their lives in the 2007 fire incident.
“On this day, in 2007, innocent villagers were killed in firing at Nandigram. Many bodies could not be found. It was a dark chapter in the history of the State. Heartfelt tribute to all those who lost their lives,” she said in a Tweet before her roadshow.
She claimed that the “machinators” would emerge winners if she took rest for a fortnight as advised by her doctors.
Ms Banerjee also raised Trinamool’s poll slogan “khela hobay” and warned that an injured tiger was more dangerous than a dead one.
The chief minister said she had been assaulted many times in her political life but never bowed down and she would not do so in future.
The ruling party also postponed the release of its manifesto further, which was scheduled for Sunday, after being postponed two times before.
Earlier, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee along with other TMC leaders inspects the venue ahead of the wheelchair roadshow. The CM’s nephew addressed party cadres there as well.
TMC supporters came out in huge numbers and joined the roadshow in support of Mamata Banerjee.
Elections to 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held in eight phases starting from March 27 with the final round of voting taking place on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2
