New Delhi:
A day ahead of the Trinamool Congress' protest rally at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, former Railway Minister and party leader Mukul Roy warned the Centre that their agitation will spark a movement in the country against the UPA government's decisions to allow Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail, hike diesel prices and put a cap on the number of subsidised LPG cylinders.
"There will be country-wide protests after this. Tomorrow is just the beginning," Mr Roy said on yesterday in Delhi.
Mr Roy also asserted that the Trinamool Congress does not want support from any other party in their protest. "They are doing politics. Our leader feels for the people," the Trinamool MP said.
Today, Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party MPs would gather at Jantar Mantar to protest against the reforms introduced by the Manmohan Singh government earlier this month. All Trinamool MPs arrived in the national capital by Sunday and are expected to be by Ms Banerjee's side at Jantar Mantar. Around 600 Trinamool supporters were scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on Sunday night. Also, 1000 Trinamool supporters from Haryana, 2000 from Uttar Pradesh along with party MLAs from Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur are expected to be present on Monday. The Delhi Police has given Ms Banerjee's party permission for 5000 people at the venue.
The protest comes eleven days after Ms Banerjee had announced her decision to pull out from the Congress-led UPA government. The decision also led to the end of the Trinamool-Congress alliance in Ms Banerjee's state.
This was followed by continuous attacks by Ms Banerjee on the Centre. Before travelling to Delhi on Saturday evening, the West Bengal Chief Minister said on her Facebook page, "Looting is on in the name of
aam admi and reforms."
Several parties including Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party which provides external support to the UPA government and opposition parties including the BJP, JD(U) and the Left Front had held a massive protest rally on September 20 against the Centre's reforms.