The TMC chairperson, accompanied by leaders such as Beleghata MLA Kunal Ghosh and former MP Dola Sen, reached Esplanade in the heart of the city, where her sudden appearance drew large crowds

She then led a march from there to Subodh Mullick Square, a distance of nearly 1.2 km, protesting what the party described as "illegal, unjust and inhuman" eviction drives against hawkers across the state

In a statement posted on social media, the Trinamool Congress said Banerjee, along with party leaders and workers, led a peaceful protest against the eviction of hawkers and vowed to defend the dignity, livelihoods and rights of ordinary people

The protest came amid the party''s continuing campaign against hawker eviction drives. Earlier, TMC leaders had staged a sit-in at Sealdah, demanding rehabilitation for vendors before any eviction exercise

The BJP has maintained that encroachment on public spaces must be addressed in accordance with the law, while the Trinamool Congress has insisted that rehabilitation measures should be implemented before any eviction of hawkers