Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury claims Congress Yatra facing ‘roadblocks’ in Trinamool-ruled West Bengal
The Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, which began in Manipur on January 14, entered West Bengal from Assam on Thursday.
West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Friday claimed that the Trinamool Congress government isn't giving permissions to public meetings linked to his party's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.
“In some places, we are facing roadblocks as we are not getting permission to organise public meetings, citing exams. The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra has faced problems in the Northeast, including Assam, and now it is facing problems in TMC-ruled West Bengal as well,” Chowdhury was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.
“We thought we would get relaxations in some places in West Bengal but the administration is saying they cannot give it," he added.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Santanu Sen responded to Chowdhury's claims saying the state administration is “free of political influences”.
“Adhir Chowdhury is responsible for the INDIA alliance falling apart in West Bengal. Secondly, all opposition parties conduct programmes in the state, nobody faces any problems. The administration must have taken the decision as there are board examinations in schools,” Sen said.
This comes amid the ongoing political tussle between Adhir and TMC. On Thursday, TMC MP Derek O'Brien blamed the Congress leader for being the reason behind TMC contesting Lok Sabha elections solo. Alleging that Chowdhury “speaks the language of BJP”, O'Brien said, “He regularly hosts press briefings to belittle Mamata Banerjee”.
“Three reasons for the alliance not working in Bengal - Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury,” O'Brien told reporters.
Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra
The Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, which began in Manipur on January 14, entered West Bengal from Assam on Thursday - a day after the state’s chief minister Mamata Banerjee ruled out alliance with the Congress in the eastern state for the Lok Sabha polls. The yatra, which will halt for two days on January 26 and 27 in West Bengal, is set to cover Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Uttar Dinajpur, and Darjeeling before reaching Bihar.
Earlier in Assam, a massive row erupted as hundreds of Congress workers clashed with the police and broke through barricades after they were stopped outside Guwahati during the yatra. The clash set off a bitter war of words between Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Rahul Gandhi.
