Siliguri, July 11 (Siliguri Chronicle) – The Trinamool Congress (TMC) will hold a protest march in Siliguri on Saturday, alleging harassment of Bengali-speaking people in several BJP-ruled states. The party is also protesting the recent issuance of an NRC notice to a Rajbanshi resident from Dinhata in Cooch Behar.
Gautam Deb, senior TMC leader and mayor of Siliguri, accused the BJP-led central government of targeting Bengalis and trying to create unrest in the region.
“We are seeing not only harassment of Bengali-speaking people and members of the Rajbanshi community in different states, but also a deliberate attempt to disturb the peace and harmony in Siliguri to derail the state’s development efforts,” Deb said.
TMC leaders say the notice is part of a broader pattern of exclusion and intimidation targeting Bengalis. “We have decided to take to the streets to protest these divisive moves. The march will reflect our united stand against such harassment,” said Gautam Deb, senior TMC leader and mayor of Siliguri, at a press conference held at the party’s Darjeeling (plains) district office on Thursday.
Deb also accused the BJP-led central government of trying to create unrest in Siliguri by targeting people from Bengal.
The march is scheduled to start from Bagha Jatin Park on Saturday afternoon and will proceed through Kachari Road, Hill Cart Road, and Sevoke More, before concluding at Mahatma Gandhi More in Siliguri.
At the press conference, Gautam Deb was joined by Sanjay Tibrewal, chairman of Trinamool’s Darjeeling (plains) district unit, Siliguri deputy mayor Ranjan Sarkar, and the party’s state general secretary Alok Chakraborty.
Deb said: “There are efforts to incite unrest and disrupt the harmony of Siliguri, something that has not happened before. We urge all peace-loving citizens to reject these attempts to divide us.”
