West Bengal Polls: Anand Sharma Questions Congress’ Alliance With ISF

The former union minister said the issue of alliance with a radical party like the ISF should have been discussed and approved by the Congress Working Committee (CWC). “Congress' alliance with parties like ISF and other such forces militates against the core ideology of the party and Gandhian and Nehruvian secularism, which forms the soul of the party. These issues need to be approved by the CWC,” he wrote on Twitter.

Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee greets the crowd as she inaugurates the North Bengal festival 'Uttarbanga Utsav' in Siliguri on February 1, 2021.

In what may give the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fresh ammunition to take on the opposition, Congress veteran Anand Sharma on Monday questioned the party’s tie-up with Muslim cleric Abbas Siddiqui’s Indian Secular Front (ISF) in West Bengal and said the party cannot be selective in fighting the “communalists” while asserting it is against the “Gandhian and Nehruvian secularism”.

The former union minister said the issue of alliance with a radical party like the ISF should have been discussed and approved by the Congress Working Committee (CWC).

“Congress' alliance with parties like ISF and other such forces militates against the core ideology of the party and Gandhian and Nehruvian secularism, which forms the soul of the party. These issues need to be approved by the CWC,” he wrote on Twitter.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Congress’ alliance with parties like ISF and other such forces militates against the core ideology of the party and Gandhian and Nehruvian secularism, which forms the soul of the party. These issues need to be approved by the CWC.</p>&mdash; Anand Sharma (@AnandSharmaINC) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnandSharmaINC/status/1366375767987249153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>March 1, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

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Sharma, a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), also sought clarification from West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for attending the joint rally in Kolkata where ISF leaders were present, alleging that his presence and endorsement was “painful and shameful”.

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“Congress cannot be selective in fighting communalists but must do so in all its manifestations, irrespective of religion and colour. The presence and endorsement by West Bengal PCC President is painful and shameful, he must clarify,” he said in another tweet.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Congress cannot be selective in fighting communalists but must do so in all its manifestations, irrespective of religion and colour. The presence and endorsement West Bengal PCC President is painful and shameful, he must clarify.</p>&mdash; Anand Sharma (@AnandSharmaINC) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnandSharmaINC/status/1366375770239631363?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel='nofollow'>March 1, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The CWC is the highest decision-making body of the party.