ACTION PUNJAB NEWS Desk: In a gesture of reconciliation, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress leader, has issued an apology to Trinamool Congress’s Derek O’Brien for branding him a foreigner. Amid the ongoing political turbulence surrounding the Congress party’s efforts to mend ties with its INDIA bloc partner Mamata Banerjee, Chowdhury expressed regret for his comment on O’Brien. “I conveyed my regrets to MR DEREK O’BRIEN for a word inadvertently uttered by me to him as FOREIGNER,” he stated.
Chowdhury’s earlier jibe at the Trinamool MP came in response to allegations that he played a role in undermining the INDIA bloc in Bengal. Accusing O’Brien of being a foreigner, he remarked, “Derek O’Brien is a foreigner, he knows a lot of things. Ask him.”
I conveyed my regrets to MR DEREK O’BRIEN for an word inadvertently uttered by me on him as FOREIGNER.
— Adhir Chowdhury (@adhirrcinc) January 26, 2024
O’Brien, in turn, pointed fingers at Chowdhury as a significant obstacle to the alliance’s success in Bengal. “Three reasons for the alliance not working in Bengal – Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury,” he asserted, also accusing the Congress leader of working at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Mamata Banerjee recently called off the INDIA alliance in West Bengal, citing the Congress’s rejection of her seat-sharing offer and alleged “unjustified” demands. She further claimed that the Congress had not personally informed her about Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra passing through Bengal. Chowdhury countered, stating that Banerjee had only offered his party two seats.
Also Read: Ayodhya Day 4: Long queue outside Ram Temple for Ram Lalla darshan
Also Read: US: Alabama executes Kenneth Smith for carrying out first nitrogen gas execution
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Cites Obstacles in Bengal for Rahul Gandhi’s Yatra; BJP Takes Jibes
Addressing the media in Siliguri, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress leader, alleged impediments in organizing events linked to Rahul Gandhi’s yatra in West Bengal. Chowdhury claimed that the Bengal government was withholding permissions for public meetings, citing exam-related issues.
Chowdhury emphasized that the yatra’s schedule had been submitted to the state administration well in advance. However, he highlighted roadblocks, particularly in areas like Siliguri, where permission to hold a public meeting was denied. The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra faced similar challenges in the Northeast, including Assam, and now encounters hurdles in TMC-ruled West Bengal. Despite expecting better cooperation from the state government, Chowdhury assured that the route and itinerary of the yatra remained largely unchanged, with only a few adjustments.
The BJP responded to Chowdhury’s claims with Amit Malviya stating, “Mamata Banerjee’s decision to deny Rahul Gandhi’s Yatra permission is like the last nail in the coffin of I.N.D.I. Alliance. The decision is intended to humiliate the Congress.” He also commented on the Congress appealing to Banerjee to join the yatra, likening it to “stockholm syndrome.”
In an attempt to pacify Mamata Banerjee, Jairam Ramesh from the Congress emphasized that the INDIA bloc couldn’t be envisioned without her. The political dynamics in West Bengal have seen a shift, with Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress defeating the BJP in the 2021 assembly elections, two years after the BJP secured 18 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
Also Read: Punjab Weather Update: IMD issues orange alert; icy wave wreaks havoc in these districts of Punjab
Also Read: What is French President Macron’s Republic Day gift to India? Know here
(Inputs from agencies)
