BJP rule in Bengal will be no different from rest of country: Venugopal

The BJP government in West Bengal would be no different from BJP-ruled states elsewhere in the country and would be equally "aggressive", Congress general-secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal said on Tuesday, 30 June, accusing the party of undermining the Constitution and targeting the livelihoods of ordinary people.

Addressing a press conference in Kolkata after a two-day organisational review meeting, Venugopal alleged that the BJP was bent on eroding constitutional values and suppressing dissent.

"They do not believe in the Constitution. They want to destroy the livelihood of the common people. That is why they have started evicting hawkers. The Congress will stand with the poor and continue its fight against the BJP," he said.

Venugopal was in Kolkata to assess the Congress' organisational preparedness in West Bengal following the Assembly elections in April. On Monday, he met district Congress presidents and AICC members from the state. Tuesday's meeting was attended by all Congress candidates who had contested the Assembly polls.

The review meetings were also attended by AICC working committee member Deepa Dasmunshi, AICC in-charge for West Bengal Ghulam Ahmad Mir and West Bengal Pradesh Congress committee president Shubhankar Sarkar.

Responding to questions on the INDIA bloc and criticism over its functioning, Venugopal maintained that the alliance remained united against the BJP and the RSS despite political contests among its constituent parties in different states.

"In Kerala, we are fighting the CPI(M). In Punjab, we are fighting the AAP. But when the BJP and the RSS are attacking pluralism, democracy and constitutional rights, we are united in opposing them. That is the purpose of the INDIA bloc," he said.

Stepping up his attack on the BJP, Venugopal alleged that the party sought to dictate every aspect of public life.

"Not providing eggs in the mid-day meal scheme shows that the BJP wants to decide what students should eat. It wants to impose its dominance everywhere. It is pushing for the Uniform Civil Code and introducing laws in legislatures with the real intention of suppressing dissent," he alleged.

Referring to the reported theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Venugopal claimed, "The RSS and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad are involved in the incident. Why is the BJP silent?"

He said the Congress also reviewed its strategy for the upcoming Assembly by-polls and civic body elections in West Bengal, adding that any decision on electoral alliances would be taken after assessing the prevailing political situation.

Meanwhile, state Congress spokesperson Suman Roy Chowdhury said the party had received permission from Army authorities for its proposed 'Chalo Shahid Minar' programme in Kolkata on 21 July.

With PTI inputs