A delegation of Trinamool Congress was forcefully removed by the Delhi Police from their protest site at Krishi Bhavan, the Union Rural Development Ministry office, late on Tuesday night. Several TMC MPs, including general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, Mahua Moitra and Santanu Sen were dragged and lifted away by security forces (video above) and later detained. The events unfolded as the delegation staged a sit-in protest inside Krishi Bhawan after they were denied a meeting with Minister of State for the Ministry Of Rural Development Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, despite being given a prior appointment.

The minister was scheduled to meet the TMC delegation at 6 pm, however, they were made to wait for around 90 minutes, following which they were informed that Jyoti would not be able to meet them,
according to a report by Hindustan Times. The delegation, however, did not leave and continued to sit at the ministry’s office. The party leaders and supporters have been protesting in the capital against nonpayment of wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in West Bengal.

The TMC had been told that only five persons were allowed for the meeting, the party instead turned up with 30 Parliamentarians and 10 ministers along with beneficiaries who have been denied wages, according to The Hindu. They were then taken away in a bus, as the TMC delegation alleged they were manhandled and physically removed. The party representatives were released by the police on Tuesday night, hours after being detained.