Nyay Yatra: Adhir Ranjan says Congress denied meeting permission in Bengal; TMC warns

Darjeeling (West Bengal) [India], January 26 : Not known to pull his punches against the Trinamool Congress government, West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Friday alleged that the administration of Siliguri denied the permission for a "small meeting" sought by the grand old party during the ongoing Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, led by his party MP Rahul Gandhi.
The Congress Leader in Lok Sabha said that the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra has been at the receiving end of several challenges since the beginning whether it is in the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states or Mamata Banerjee-led Bengal.
"Nyay yatra has been attacked with all sorts of tactics since the very beginning... In Manipur, Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to hold a public meeting where we wanted it to be held. We had to conduct this meeting on a private property outside of Manipur... In Assam, many police personnel attacked the yatra on orders from the government... In West Bengal, we requested to hold a meeting in Siliguri, but it was denied," Chowdhury said.
He said, "If they had done anything against the ruling party in Bengal, the government would have created obstacles in Yatra. But this Nyay Yatra is for everyone in the country, not to support or oppose anyone."
This came a day after, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, soon after starting the Bengal leg of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, struck a conciliatory tone against the backdrop of senior member of the opposition's INDIA bloc Mamata Banerjee's vow to go solo in Lok Sabha polls in her state.
Rahul Gandhi in Cooch Behar said that the INDIA bloc will fight 'Anyay' together. The conciliatory tone was also sounded by Jairam Ramesh who reiterated that Mamata was an important part of the INDIA bloc.
"I have said that TMC is an important pillar of INDIA bloc which comprises 28 parties. Mamata Banerjee is an experienced and energetic leader of the country, a tall leader. We respect her...Everyone knows that she holds a special place and identity in the politics of our country. I am very confident that she too wants to defeat the BJP, we also want the same. We will fight together. We will make INDIA Alliance successful. That is our duty" Jairam Ramesh said
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress leader Sushmita Dev warned Chowdhury to speak in a calibrated manner ahead of this year's Lok Sabha elections.
"Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has been Congress (state) president for years now. What has been their record in Bengal? Had he thought of it, he would not have hesitated when it comes to seat sharing. So, I would like to say that the kinds of statements he is making are against the culture of the country. I think the lesser he speaks, the better it is for the 2024 elections," she said.
The Congress' Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, flagged off from Manipur's Imphal on January 14, will conclude in Mumbai on March 20.