48 hrs before Rahul Gandhi’s entry, Nyay Yatra’s flexes destroyed in Bengal; TMC accused

Kolkata, Jan 23: Just 48 hours before the entry of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra into West Bengal, the Congress party’s banners welcoming the leader’s yatra were torn in different parts of Cooch Behar on Tuesday afternoon.

The West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) has accused the local Trinamool Congress leadership of Cooch Behar district of masterminding the development. The latter has, however, rubbished the allegations.

The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is supposed to enter West Bengal on Thursday through Bakshirhat in Tufanganj subdivision in Cooch Behar District.

Political observers say this fresh development will add to the factors already distancing the Congress from the ruling Trinamool Congress at the INDIA bloc level.

Speaking to media persons, the Congress state spokesman Soumya Aich Roy said that goons backed by the Trinamool Congress were responsible for destroying the flexes raised to welcome the yatra.

“If they feel that they will be able to stop the Nyay Yatra through coercive measures they are mistaken. Trinamool Congress is acting like the agent of the BJP which did the same thing in Assam. People will give them a befitting reply,” he said.

The state Congress President and five-time party Lok Sabha member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that the Trinamool Congress is trying to create an atmosphere of binary politics involving only them and the BJP in West Bengal.

“Though this binary politics Trinamool Congress wants to gain for itself and also help the BJP gain in the state. That is why the party leadership, including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, is changing her narrative every day,” Chowdhury said.

However, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Prakash Chik Baraik had rubbished the allegations. “Our party believes in democracy, where all political parties have equal right to carry out their own programmes. The allegations of Congress are baseless,” Baraik said.