India News | TMC Observes 'Khela Hobe Dibas' Across Bengal

Kolkata, Aug 16 (PTI) The TMC on Tuesday observed 'Khela Hobe Dibas' with party leaders organising football matches to promote sports, and taking out rallies against the alleged biased functioning of central agencies in West Bengal.

'Khela Hobe' (the game is on) had been the battle cry of the Trinamool Congress during the assembly polls last year when the party defeated the BJP to storm back to power for the third consecutive term.

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Last year, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee announced that August 16 would be observed as 'Khela Hobe Dibas'.

"I want to extend my heartfelt wishes on #KhelaHobeDibas. After the exemplary success of the event last year, we look forward to greater participation by the youth today. Let this day uphold the zeal of our young citizens, who are the most credible harbingers of progress!" Banerjee tweeted on Tuesday.

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Football matches were organised to promote sports and as a mark of respect to 16 people who died in a stampede during a football match at the Eden Gardens here in 1980.

"All the party leaders were instructed to organise programmes at every block of the state," senior TMC leader Tapas Ray said.

The TMC took out rallies in various parts of the state, questioning the impartiality of the probe agencies.

Carrying posters and placards, activists of the ruling party rallied in various parts of the state, demanding an unbiased probe by the ED and the CBI.

"We doubt the way in which central agencies function. We have seen that no action is being taken against BJP leaders facing allegations of corruption. However, they are very prompt when acting against opposition leaders," a TMC leader said.

The TMC took out a massive rally in the Manicktala area of the city. Party workers were seen wearing masks resembling BJP leaders allegedly facing graft charges.

On Thursday morning, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Birbhum district president of TMC, Anubrata Mondal, from his residence in the Bolpur area for allegedly not cooperating in its probe into the cattle smuggling case.

Partha Chatterjee, now suspended TMC leader, was arrested on July 23 by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a school recruitment scam.

Meanwhile, the BJP has been opposing announcing August 16 as ‘Khela Hobe Dibas' claiming that the Muslim League had launched its Direct Action Day and began the Great Calcutta Killings on August 16 in 1946.

A BJP delegation led by its state president Sukanta Majumdar met West Bengal Governor La Ganesan at Raj Bhavan during the day and claimed that the occasion was an attempt to intimidate the opposition cadres across the state.

"In the name of ‘Khela Hobe', the ruling party had unleashed terror across the state after the 2021 assembly polls," he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)