Kolkata, Jun 30 (PTI) The BJP government in West Bengal would be no different from other states where the saffron party is in power and would be equally “aggressive”, Congress leader K C Venugopal said on Tuesday.
He accused the BJP of undermining the Constitution and targeting the poor.
Addressing a press conference after a two-day organisational review meeting in Kolkata, the Congress general secretary (organisation) alleged that the BJP did not believe in the Constitution and was bent on destroying the livelihoods of ordinary people.
“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 review the party’s organisational preparedness in West Bengal following the Assembly elections.
On Monday, he met district Congress presidents and AICC members from the state, while Tuesday’s meeting was attended by all Congress candidates who had contested the Assembly polls.
The meetings were attended by AICC Working Committee member Deepa Dasmunshi, AICC in-charge of 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 said the alliance remained united against the BJP and the RSS despite political differences among its constituents.
“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.
Targeting the BJP further, Venugopal alleged that the party wanted to dictate every aspect of public life.
“Curbing 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, Venugopal alleged, “The RSS and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad are involved in the incident. Why is the BJP silent?” The Congress leader said the party also reviewed its preparations for the upcoming bypolls and civic body elections in the state. Decisions on possible electoral alliances would be taken after assessing the prevailing political situation, he added.
Meanwhile, state Congress spokesperson Suman Roy Chowdhury said the party had received permission from the Army authorities for its proposed “Chalo Shaheed Minar” programme in Kolkata on July 21. PTI SCH RG
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