Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra on Friday joined the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar, lending support to activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is on an indefinite hunger strike demanding accountability from Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the education system.
Moitra's appearance comes just days after she alleged BJP workers hurled eggs at her during a political programme in West Bengal's Nadia district. At Friday's protest, however, her criticism was directed squarely at the Centre and the education minister.
Moitra's sharpest attack on Pradhan
Addressing protesters, the TMC leader accused the government of being disconnected from public concerns.
"These shameless people are drunk on the high of power. They can't see what's happening around them."
She then took aim at Pradhan with a remark that drew cheers from protesters.
"His birthday cake can't be baked with the blood of our children."
The comment appeared to allude to the Union minister's birthday celebrations on June 26, which came amid student protests demanding his resignation over alleged examination paper leaks. Protesters have also objected to Pradhan's reported description of demonstrators as the "B team of terrorists."
Urging students to stay united, Moitra added, "Don't let them label you. Your only label is 'Hindustani'. Don't give up. Stay true to the cause. Jai Hind."
Support grows for Wangchuk's hunger strike
The demonstration at Jantar Mantar has continued for the past two weeks and has steadily attracted support from opposition leaders, activists and members of the film fraternity.
Earlier this week, TMC MP Sagarika Ghose joined the protest, accusing the Narendra Modi government of refusing to listen to public sentiment. While major opposition parties have not formally backed the Cockroach Janta Party campaign, Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray have expressed support.
Actors Prakash Raj and Atul Kulkarni have also endorsed the movement. In a message to the young protesters, Kulkarni wrote, "May you reshape this country with integrity and compassion. My heartfelt good wishes to you all."
Protesters reject 'terrorist' tag
The agitation also saw fresh criticism of Pradhan from CJP member Dipke, who pushed back against the minister's reported remarks about the protesters.
"Dharmendra Pradhan calls us terrorists. But the irony is that he is the one with the blood of more than 17 students on his hands," Dipke said.
"We are not terrorists. We don't need a certificate of patriotism from people like you who are responsible for the deaths of innocent students," he added.
Wangchuk has maintained that he will continue his hunger strike until the government acts on the group's demands for accountability in the education sector. As of now, the Centre has not issued an official response to his fast.
(With inputs from TOI)
