'Perhaps Modi, Mamata Have A Connection': Congress Takes A Dig At BJP To Demand President's Rule In Bengal

The Congress and the BJP demanded that President's rule be imposed in West Bengal after a mob attack on ED officials who had raided the residence of a TMC leader.

The Congress party on Saturday took a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party over mob attack on the team of officials from Enforcement Directorate in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas alleging a connection between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. 

West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Choudhary demanded that presidential rule should be imposed in disturbed areas of the state but also said that the BJP-led Centre won't do it because it has no courage. 

"...The ruling party gives them power from the back and that is why there is no dearth of 'Kaka Babu', 'Khoka Babu', Shahjahan and 'Noor Jahan' in Bengal. If BJP has courage, they should do something...They could not do it in Manipur, how would they do it in Bengal? We want presidential rule at least in the disturbed area," Choudhary said on Saturday. 

"But they have no courage, they just make tall claims. Perhaps Modi ji and Didi have a strong connection and that is why it can't be done," he added. 

"Nowhere in India does an incident occur like what happened in Sandeshkhali. Hooligans have such guts today, this was an example of that. The incident proves the relation between the ruling party in this state and the Police force," said the Congress leader.

"This unholy relation is reflected through the Sandeshkhali incident. The law and order situation is deteriorating day after day but the BJP is silent...A concrete step is the need of the hour but it is not being done," he added. 

Meanwhile, the BJP also demanded that the President's rule be imposed in the state as the "only way to save West Bengal." 

"This attack was not just on the ED officials, but on the legal system of India. This incident has once again shown there is no order, no law, only TMC goonda-gardi," said BJP MP Raju Bista in a post on X.  

Open Heart For Congress, But Will Go Solo If...: TMC 

While the Trinamool Congress firmly shares stage with Congress and other allies of the I.N.D.I.A bloc during its meeting, the TMC on Saturday said it has an "open heart" for the grand old party regarding seat-sharing in West Bengal for the Lok Sabha elections, but it was also prepared to go solo if the talks fail.

TMC's leader in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandopadhyay said that whatever local Congress leaders are thinking about sharing of seats is immaterial as the final decision will be taken by the top brass of the two parties.

"Our leader Mamata Banerjee has already said that we have an open heart for the Congress. Now, what they will do is up to them. Whether there will be an in West Bengal will be decided by Sonia Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee. What local Congress leaders think is immaterial," he told PTI.