Terming the defacing of posters of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in front of the party’s State headquarters in Kolkata an act of “gross indiscipline,” the Congress on Monday asked the in-charge of West Bengal to submit a report on the incident.
As subsequent developments threatened to become a political crisis, Mr. Kharge, in an interview to PTI on Monday, described his colleague from Bengal (West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury) as a “fighter” of his party and asserted that the Congress is in an alliance with the Left in Bengal.
On Sunday, several posters and hoardings of Mr. Kharge were defaced with ink and “agent of Trinamool Congress” written over the posters after Mr. Chowdhury was snubbed by Mr. Kharge for questioning Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee’s loyalty to the INDIA bloc.
Issuing a stern warning on Monday, party general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal said it had been brought to the party high command’s notice that a few office-bearers and workers of the party had made certain uncharitable remarks against Mr. Kharge in the media as well as on social media.
‘Sentiments hurt’
“Acts of vandalising hoardings outside the WBPCC office have also been carried out by certain miscreants. This has hurt the sentiments of millions of party workers and supporters,” Mr. Venugopal said in a statement.
“We are taking very serious note of such grave anti-party activities. The Indian National Congress shall not tolerate such public display of defiance and indiscipline. The general secretary in-charge of West Bengal is directed to immediately submit a factual report on these acts of gross indiscipline,” he added.
On Saturday, when the Congress President was asked to comment on Mr. Chowdhury’s attack on Ms. Banerjee at a press conference in Mumbai, Mr. Kharge said, “Mamata Banerjee is with the alliance. She has recently said that she will join the government. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury will not take the decision. The decision will be taken by me and the high command, and those who do not agree will go out”.
Reacting to Mr. Kharge’s comments and referring to the TMC supremo, Mr. Chowdhury had said, “I cannot speak in favour of someone who wants to finish me and our party in Bengal politically. This is a battle for every Congress worker. I have spoken on their behalf. I do not want the State Congress to be used for her [Ms. Banerjee’s] personal agenda.”
Sources said Mr. Chowdhury, who is in his constituency of Baharampur in Murshidabad district, has asked party workers to lodge a formal police complaint and immediately remove the defaced posters. His supporters have blamed the TMC to be behind the episode to malign Mr. Chowdhury.
(With PTI inputs)
Published - May 20, 2024 07:46 pm IST
