Trinamool Congress chief Mamta Banerjee on Monday fainted while addressing a public rally at Chowringee in Kolkata in gruelling heat. In the midst of her speech, punctuated by critical comments against the United Progressive Alliance government for hiking petrol prices and also the West Bengal's Left Front government, Mamta swayed and collapsed.
A doctor was immediately called in to attend to her. Before the rally, Banerjee walked in a procession from the Gandhi statue on the Maidan to the venue of the rally at Esplanade nearby. ''Mamta did not feel well since morning. We advised her to go to the rally venue by car from Gandhi statue. Oppressive heat notwithstanding, she led our party's procession," Trinamool Youth Congress President Madan Mitra told newsmen.
After a while the Trinamool chief sat up. She announced that her party would observe a road blockade across West Bengal on June 22 for one hour from 1:00 pm to protest the fuel price hike. Mamata later left for her residence.
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