TMC supporters during the party's Martyrs' Day rally in Kolkata on Sunday, July 21, 2024.
Credit: PTI Photo
Kolkata: Amid shouting of slogans and beating of drums by TMC activists at the party’s mega rally here on Sunday, a cyclist was seen campaigning for a “green planet”.
Ganesh Gupta, a resident of Burrabazar in the city, has adorned his cycle with posters of green earth, the national Tricolour besides flowers, plants and a campaign slogan.
"I am not a worker of TMC but a supporter of the party. I support (Chief Minister) Mamata Banerjee's pro-poor politics. I attended the July 21 rally in the past also. The huge turnout of the rally has given me the chance to spread the messages of saving the world by planting trees and stopping plastic use," Gupta told PTI.
"I am using a cycle to disseminate the message of minimising vehicular pollution and keeping the air free from harmful particulate matters as much as possible," he said.
Gupta claimed he had visited several towns and cities within the state on his cycle with the message.
For cities like Mumbai and Allahabad, he took the cycle by train and went around the streets on it, he said.
Adding colour to the political event by party workers marching to the venue, a group of tribal people from the Jangal Mahal belt in the southern part of the state, took part in the rally attired in their traditional dresses and danced to the beat of traditional drums.
Giant balloons sporting the TMC’s party colour and symbol were another highlight of the rally.
"Listened to what our leaders Didi (Mamata Banerjee) and Abhishek Banerjee said. They have rightly told us to be polite and responsive to people.," said Kalipada Maity of Garbeta in Paschim Medinipur, heading a group of 50 people, all wearing TMC caps.
"We want to visit Kalighat temple now. You cannot get the opportunity to visit Kolkata every day," he added.
Subham Das, part of a group of 50 TMC workers from Sodepur-Khardah belt in North 24 Parganas district, said they came in two buses.
He said, "The party has made all arrangements for the food of every worker. But we preferred to make our arrangements from our own pocket."