Rahul Gandhi Urged Bengal To Lead Way To Fight Injustice During Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra

This statement was made during the ongoing ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ in North Bengal, following Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s recent announcement that her party, TMC, would independently contest the upcoming general elections in the state.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged Bengal and Bengalis to take the lead in fighting the prevailing injustices in the nation amidst differences within the opposition bloc INDIA over seat allocation with TMC in Bengal for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

This statement was made during the ongoing ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ in North Bengal, following Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s recent announcement that her party, TMC, would independently contest the upcoming general elections in the state.

Rahul Gandhi on Bengal

Gandhi expressed gratitude for the warm reception in West Bengal and said, “The people of West Bengal have given me a lot of love. Bengal holds a special place. Bengal led the ideological fight during the Independence struggle. Rabindranath Tagore, Subhash Chandra Bose and Swami Vivekananda had worked to show the path to the country. I am confident that all of you will work to reunite this country.”

He emphasised, “Bengal and Bengalis must lead from the front to combat injustice, foster unity, and curb hatred in the present circumstances.”

“If you don’t rise to the occasion, people will never forgive you. It is not about any single individual; it is about Bengal showing the way and leading in this fight,” he said.

Gandhi’s remarks coincide with ongoing efforts by the Congress leadership to mend relations with Mamata Banerjee, whom they consider an ‘important pillar’ of the INDIA bloc. The Congress leadership is optimistic about finding a solution to the deadlock in the state.

How did BJP react?

“Yes, he is correct that Bengal has historically been at the forefront of pivotal movements, notably against British rule. Mamata Banerjee halted the BJP’s momentum in the 2021 assembly polls and played a significant role in forming the opposition coalition. However, it was the Bengal Congress leadership that compromised with the saffron camp in the state,” remarked TMC spokesperson Santanu Sen.

Conversely, the BJP state spokesperson criticised Gandhi’s remarks as divisive, stating, “It is astonishing how Rahul Gandhi can make such remarks that hint at sub-nationalism. This is unexpected from a leader of a national party.”

Details of Yatra in Bengal

The CPI (M) and Left parties, allies of the Congress in the state and the INDIA bloc at the national level, joined the yatra.

However, the TMC has chosen to abstain, citing a lack of information about the yatra.

On Monday, the yatra is set to proceed to Islampur in Uttar Dinajpur district before entering Bihar in the afternoon. The yatra had entered Bengal on Wednesday from Assam and had traversed through Cooch Behar district before a two-day recess.

The yatra is scheduled to travel 6,713 km over 67 days, traversing 110 districts across 15 states before concluding in Mumbai on March 20 or 21.

Courtesy : Outlook India

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