Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's dharna, demanding West Bengal's "dues" from the Centre for various social welfare schemes, continued overnight amid the cold, following which she went for a walk on Saturday morning. Banerjee along with leaders of her party, the TMC, started the demonstration on Friday afternoon in front of the BR Ambedkar's statue in the Maidan area in the heart of Kolkata.
State ministers such as Firhad Hakim and Aroop Biswas were among those who accompanied Banerjee during the night at the site. In the morning, she went on a walk at the nearby Red Road, and also visited a basketball ground. "The area was engulfed by a thick blanket of fog, and Banerjee went for the morning walk amid that along with her security personnel. Seeing a few players at a basketball ground, she stopped and spoke to them. She tried to understand the sport and the ball used in it," said a TMC leader, who accompanied her.
Banerjee was demonstrating, claiming that the BJP-led government at the Centre owes the state thousands of crores of rupees on account of various welfare schemes, including the MGNREGA and the PM Awas Yojana. The dharna will continue for 48 hours till Sunday, with the state's budget session beginning on Monday.
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