In a fiery exchange of words within the INDIA bloc, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Choudhury castigated West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her recent overseas sojourn to Spain, raising questions about her priorities as the state grapples with a surge in Dengue cases. Choudhury, who also serves as the President of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee, accused the state government of downplaying the gravity of Dengue-related deaths.
He pointed out the alarming directive given to medical professionals in the state to refrain from attributing deaths to Dengue, suggesting it was an attempt to preserve the government’s image.
Both the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Congress belong to the larger Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), making this confrontation particularly significant
Chief Minister Banerjee recently concluded a 12-day expedition to Spain and Dubai, where she sought to attract businesses to Bengal in preparation for the upcoming state business summit. Her whirlwind tour involved numerous high-level meetings and promoted Bngal as an enticing industrial hub.
Choudhury branded the visit as a “luxury trip,” asserting that the Chief Minister opted for a change of scenery while the state faces a Dengue crisis.
“We are well aware that Dengue cases tend to rise during August and September, yet the state lacks adequate healthcare facilities,” Choudhury lamented. He also highlighted the scarcity of industries and businesses in Bengal but remarked, “There is no shortage of funds for the CM and her family.”
In response to Choudhury’s allegations, Bengal Minister Shashi Panja questioned whether the Congress leader’s intent was to undermine the INDIA bloc’s unity.
“The statements made by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury against Mamata Banerjee and the TMC raise doubts about whether he truly intends to harm the unity of the INDIA bloc,” Panja remarked.
The ongoing tussle between these two prominent members of the INDIA bloc, encompassing 28 political parties, raises concerns about the alliance’s coherence. As these parties share the national stage on critical issues, internal divisions surface in state politics, as seen in the recent AAP-Congress dispute over seat sharing in Delhi for the 2024 general elections.
