Mamata leads TMC march against hawker evictions in Kolkata, first since mega political storm

Former chief minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) president Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday led a protest rally in central Kolkata against the eviction of hawkers without rehabilitation or alternative livelihood arrangements.

The rally comes at a time when the TMC is facing an unprecedented political crisis, as 20 of its MPs resigned form the party’s membership and merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), an obscure organisation which has just hit headlines on Sunday, with this development.

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On the other front, rebel TMC MLA Ritabrata Banerjee has claimed that he has the support of at least 65 of the party’s 80 MLAs, and has reportedly secured the Leader of Opposition position for himself in the West Bengal assembly.

The demonstration at Esplanade, the first after the party was hit by the massive political storm, saw a large number of supporters and hawkers joining the march amid slogans targeting the BJP government over its alleged “bulldozer politics”.

Protesters raised slogans such as “Break the BJP bulldozer”, “We will not accept BJP’s bulldozer” and “Stop bulldozer atrocities on the poor”.

Several participants carried placards reading, “I am a working hawker, now unemployed after eviction under BJP rule.”

Banerjee, leading the protest, was seen walking a considerable distance alongside supporters and interacting with party workers during the rally. A handful of senior Trinamool leaders who are largely seen to be Mamata Banerjee loyalists, including Kunal Ghosh and Madan Mitra, also joined the march.

The protest comes amid growing anger among small traders and hawkers over recent eviction drives carried out in Kolkata and surrounding urban areas ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in the state.

The TMC used this issue to intensify its political campaign, arguing that thousands of families depend on roadside businesses and pavement stalls for their livelihood.

The party alleged that sudden eviction drives without a concrete rehabilitation plan leave poor families jobless and push them into economic hardship.

Various hawkers’ organisations have also extended their support to the march, with large numbers gathering at the Esplanade venue.

According to the party, the march should not be viewed merely as a political programme but as a broader campaign for livelihood security, rehabilitation and basic human rights.

Banerjee had earlier criticised the eviction drives, accusing the Suvendu Adhikari led West Bengal government of acting in an authoritarian manner.