Miffed over the silence of the party high command regarding the violence over filing of nominations for panchayat polls, the West Bengal Congress has urged party high command to stand by the state unit when its workers are attacked by ruling TMC.
West Bengal Congress president Adhir Chowdhury today said that he has spoken to party president Rahul Gandhi and expressed his displeasure over Congress spokesperson and MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi decision to defend TMC in the Supreme Court in a case related to the rural polls in the state.
"I had informed my party president about the present situation in Bengal and how TMC is trying to destroy the democratic values in the state and not allowing the opposition parties to file nominations. On one hand TMC is talking big about democracy under threat under BJP and on other hand TMC is destroying democracy in Bengal," Chowdhury told PTI.
"I have also conveyed state unit's displeasure over Singhvi defending TMC government in Supreme court in a case related to the upcoming panchayat polls," Chowdhury said.
Singhvi was recently elected to Rajya Sabha from Bengal with the help of Mamata Banerjee's party.
Opposition parties in the state have alleged attacks and intimidations by Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers to prevent filing of nominations for the elections.
Singhvi represented the West Bengal government at the Supreme Court earlier during the hearing of a BJP petition over panchayat poll-related violence.
"The Congress workers are being beaten up every day and we were not allowed to file nominations and a Congress MP is still fighting in favour of the TMC in this case. This will send a wrong message to rank and file of the party," he said.
According to a senior Bengal Congress leader, the state unit has communicated to the party high command to stand by the state unit and issue a statement against TMC's violence.
"The high command should first come out in favour of its own state unit.If the party can't stand by us at our time of crisis then they should not expect anything from us," the leader said.
State Congress workers had staged a protest against Singhvi earlier this month.
Singhvi, on his part, said his arguments in court were based on the facts and figures provided by the chief secretary and the home secretary of West Bengal.
"I was appearing against the BJP, Congress is not party in the petition. No one knew that the Congress had also moved a petition at the same time in Kolkata High Court. I discovered it when someone pointed it out in the court. I think there is lack of communication," he had said.
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