TMC MPs sit on dharna over electricity disconnection from Delhi settlement

New Delhi, Jul 14 (PTI) All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders on Monday sat on a dharna at the Jai Hind camp here over the recent disconnection of electricity to the settlement which is dominated by Bengali-speaking people.

Electricity was disconnected from the camp according to a court order on July 8 by officials who came along with Delhi police and CRPF personnel. The informal settlement lies between the posh Vasant Kunj and the urban village of Masoodpur, with most of the around 5,000 residents claiming that they are from Coochbehar in West Bengal.

According to the TMC, Rajya Sabha MPs Sagarika Ghose, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Dola Sen and Saket Gokhale are sitting on a 24-hour protest, which started at 3 pm on Monday, along with the locals.

"Yesterday, people here told us about the problems they are facing, there is no electricity, water... Today we are here for a 'dharna'. You are not alone, we are with you," Ghose said, addressing the locals in Bengali.

"The BJP has started a new thing, those who speak in Bengali are being called Bangladeshi. They ask for proof of citizenship, and if they don't like the proof, they detain them, and hand them over to BSF to push them into Bangladesh," she said.

While the electricity was disconnected following a court order in an encroachment case, locals have alleged they are facing discrimination for being Bengali-speaking people. They claimed that Delhi police conducted a verification a few months ago, and not a single "Bangladeshi or Rohingya" was found in the locality.

Ghose, Roy and Gokhale also visited the locality on Sunday, and assured the locals of help on behalf of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. PTI AO AO KSS KSS