Amidst differences in opposition bloc INDIA over seat sharing with TMC in Bengal for Lok Sabha polls, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday called on Bengal and Bengalis to spearhead the battle against prevailing injustices in the nation.
Gandhi’s statement, delivered during the ongoing ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ in North Bengal, came days after after Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee’s announcement that her party would contest the forthcoming general elections independently in the state.
Expressing gratitude for the warm reception in West Bengal, Gandhi remarked, “The people of West Bengal have given me a lot of love. Bengal holds a special place. Bengal led the ideological fight during the Independence struggle. Rabindranath Tagore, Subhash Chandra Bose and Swami Vivekananda had worked to show the path to the country. I am confident that all of you will work to reunite this country.” He emphasised, “Bengal and Bengalis must lead from the front to combat injustice, foster unity, and curb hatred in the present circumstances.” “If you don’t rise to the occasion, people will never forgive you. It is not about any single individual; it is about Bengal showing the way and leading in this fight,” he said.
His remarks elucidating Bengal and Bengalis in leading the fight against injustice comes at a time when opposition bloc INDIA faced a jolt in neighbouring Bihar after its former ally JD(U)’s Nitish Kumar dumped the grand alliance and switched allegiance to BJP-led NDA.
Although Gandhi refrained from directly naming any political entity, his comments elicited diverse reactions from both the TMC and other political quarters.
“Yes, he is correct that Bengal has historically been at the forefront of pivotal movements, notably against British rule. Mamata Banerjee halted the BJP’s momentum in the 2021 assembly polls and played a significant role in forming the opposition coalition. However, it was the Bengal Congress leadership that compromised with the saffron camp in the state,” remarked TMC spokesperson Santanu Sen.
Conversely, the BJP state spokesperson criticised Gandhi’s remarks as divisive, stating, “It is astonishing how Rahul Gandhi can make such remarks that hint at sub-nationalism. This is unexpected from a leader of a national party.” Gandhi’s statement coincides with efforts by the Congress leadership to placate Mamata Banerjee, whom they regard as an “important pillar” of the opposition coalition. The Congress leadership has recently exuded confidence in finding a way forward to resolve the stalemate in the state.
Declining to attach much importance to a verbal duel between its Bengal unit and the TMC, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh brushed off the arguments happening between the Congress unit in Bengal and the TMC, saying it’s a normal part of a democratic alliance.
“It is quite natural in an alliance that state leaders of two parties will make statements and counter statements. It is a sign of an inner democracy within the alliance. And in Bengal, the Congress’s fight is against the BJP and so is that of the TMC. Mamata Ji has never said that the TMC is not part of the INDIA alliance,” he said.
Asserting that the priorities of Mamata Banerjee and the Congress are the same, Ramesh underscored the need to “fight against the divisive ideologies of the RSS and the BJP.” Reiterating Banerjee as an “important pillar” of the TMC, Ramesh said, “discussions are still ongoing about seat-sharing in Bengal.” The CPI (M) and Left parties, allies of the Congress in the state and the INDIA bloc at the national level, joined the yatra.
However, the TMC has chosen to abstain, citing a lack of information about the yatra.
Addressing a gathering in Siliguri, where the yatra paused for the night before resuming from Uttar Dinajpur on Monday, Gandhi lambasted the BJP government at the Centre for allegedly fomenting hatred and violence while prioritizing corporate interests over those of the poor and the youth.
He said, “The youth of the country used to wake up in the morning and work hard, to become fit so that they could join the army. But now the BJP government has brought ‘Agniveer’, in which youth will get jobs in the armed forces only for four years. Agniveers will not get the facilities and financial security that regular army personnel get. Only 25 per cent will be inducted and the remaining would have to leave.” “Hatred and violence are being spread across the country. It will serve no purpose. Instead of spreading hatred, we have to work towards spreading love and justice for our youths. The Union government is working only for big corporations and not for the poor and the youth,” he said.
Accusing the BJP and RSS of propagating hatred and violence, Gandhi underscored the essence of the yatra, stating, “The word ‘Nyay’ (justice) has been attached to the yatra because injustice prevails across the country.” “We aspire for an India where even the poorest can dream big and realise their aspirations. We want an India where hard work is honoured. Today, Indian youth struggle to secure employment,” he added.
Sitting atop an SUV along with state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Gandhi traversed through the town of Jalpaiguri and Siliguri, as he waved at onlookers.
On Monday, the yatra is set to proceed to Islampur in Uttar Dinajpur district before entering Bihar in the afternoon.
The yatra had entered Bengal on Wednesday from Assam and had traversed through Cooch Behar district before a two-day recess.
The yatra is scheduled to travel 6,713 km over 67 days, traversing 110 districts across 15 states before concluding in Mumbai on March 20 or 21.
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