Kolkata, Dec 28 (PTI) Senior Congress leader Pradip Bhattacharya on Tuesday asserted that India can’t be imagined without the grand old party, and called for a fight against both BJP and Trinamool Congress, which is trying to project itself as the main opposition against the saffron camp in place of Congress.
Addressing a function at Congress’ West Bengal headquarters Bidhan Bhavan on the 137th foundation day of the party, the Rajya Sabha MP said, “If anyone thinks that India can be taken forward on the path of progress by abandoning the Congress, he/she is living in a fool’s paradise. It is not possible. India can’t be imagined without Congress.”
The TMC, of late, claims to be the only force opposing the BJP, and accuses “war-weary” Congress of failing to put up an effective fight against the saffron brigade.
Bhattacharya, a former Congress state unit chief, said that some people are attacking the grand old party to “secure applause” from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and asserted that a party that has existed in national politics for 137 years cannot be wiped out.
“I urge you all to fight against the unholy forces of BJP and TMC. We will certainly emerge victorious one day. Some are attacking the Congress to get the PM’s applause. But it is impossible for any force to wipe out a national party that has existed for 137 years,” he said.
The Congress has accused the TMC of effectively helping the BJP through its expansion drive in Goa, Meghalaya and other states.
The ruling party in West Bengal has recently emerged as the main opposition party in Meghalaya after 12 of the 17 elected Congress MLAs joined Mamata Banerjee’s party en masse.
Bhattacharya said that the recently concluded Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) elections, in which Congress won only two of the 144 wards, show that party workers are not afraid and can fight back.
A Congress candidate had alleged that he was beaten up by TMC workers after the conclusion of polling on December 19.
He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi “does not have any clue” as to how to bring down the prices of essential commodities or give jobs to crores of unemployed people.
