Everyone must work together to save democracy: Mamata
Darpan News Desk, 30 Jul, 2021 11:14 AM
New Delhi, July 30 (IANS) At the end of her visit to the national capital, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Friday that everyone must work together to save democracy in the country, besides stating that she would be visiting Delhi every two months.
Before leaving for Kolkata, Banerjee said, "The visit was successful. I believe that democracy must go on and everyone has to work together to save it. When democracy is in danger, the country is in danger. 'Save democracy to save the country' is our slogan," she said.
Banerjee also talked about working for the farmers, labourers, unemployed youth and others.
After a thumping victory for her party Trinamool Congress in the West Bengal Assembly polls held in March-April, Banerjee reached Delhi on Monday evening.
During her first visit to the national capital after being sworn-in as West Bengal CM for the third time, Banerjee met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union minister Nitin Gadkari and opposition leaders such as interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, among others.
Though an expected meeting with NCP chief Sharad Pawar did not take place, Banerjee said that "I have talked to Sharad Pawar."
After her meeting with the Prime Minister on Tuesday, Banerjee had said, "It was a courtesy meeting. I told the Prime Minister about the need for more vaccines and medicines in West Bengal."
On Thursday, she met Union Transport Minister Gadkari and discussed several road and infrastructure projects related to West Bengal.
On the political front, she met Sonia Gandhi, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi and Kejriwal on Wednesday. She also met Congress leaders Kamal Nath, Anand Sharma and DMK leader Kanimozhi.
Ever since her third straight election triumph in West Bengal, Banerjee has been strongly pitching for opposition unity against the BJP ahead of the general elections scheduled in 2024.
"Everyone has to come together to defeat the BJP. Alone, we (Trinamool) are nothing, and everyone has to work together," she had said.
On the opposition face against Modi in 2024, she had said, "All the opposition parties will sit together and decide who will lead the fight against Modi."
India and Australia penned a landmark agreement for reciprocal access to military bases for logistics support besides firming up six more pacts to further broaden ties after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart PM Scott Morrison held an online summit.
Siddharta Vashishtha, also known as Manu Sharma, the convict in the Jessica Lal murder case was released from Tihar Jail on Tuesday. Sandeep Goel, Director-General of Tihar Jail, said: “He was released on the recommendations of the Sentence Reviewing Board meeting. The entire process has been carried out.”
A swarm of locusts on Wednesday and Thursday devastated crops in Uttar Pradesh’s Sonbhadhra district, which shares borders with Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh. The pest has damaged crops in six states, leading to the Centre issuing a locust warning to 16 states.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Rs 1,500 crore for the relief and rehabilitation of people affected by Cyclone Amphan in West Bengal and Odisha, and assured the states of more support after conducting separate aerial surveys with chief ministers Mamata Banerjee and Naveen Patnaik on Friday.
US President Donald Trump tweeted that the US would donate ventilators to India in the fight against COVID-19. "We stand with India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during this pandemic,".
