Darjeeling district Congress to take to streets

SILIGURI, 17 MAY: The Darjeeling district Congress would take to the streets against the Trinamul Congress for allegedly blackening the nameplate of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) Mayor, Ms Gangotri Datta, yesterday.

The SMC Trinamul Congress councillors had blackened the nameplate of the mayor outside her chamber while protesting against the removal of 12 contractual employees from the water department.

“We have decided to take to the streets against the Trinamul Congress for such an undemocratic form of agitation. We strongly condemn the incident. They have disrespected the mayor's chair. The mayor has been elected with votes of people of the town and she would complete her tenure. We are confident about that,” said the Darjeeling district Congress president, Mr Sankar Malakar.

Ms Datta said she might file an FIR against the agitating Trinamul councillors.

“However, I did not lodge the FIR as we want to give respect to all the councillors. But it seems yesterday's act it is nothing less of a criminal offence. If such incidents are repeated then we will not remain silent,” she added.

The Trinamul Congress councillor and the party's district general secretary, Mr Krishna Pal, said it was the prerogative of the Congress whether they would file an FIR against the Trinamul Congress councillors.

“We are least bothered about the threat. We feel the mayor is a burden for the town and so she should resign. Last night during the gherao of the Civic Body Commissioner, Mr P D Pradhan, we were assured that

the issue of the removal of 12 workers would be looked into. That is our moral victory," Mr Pal said.

statesman news service