In an apparent bid to defy Trinamul Congress, the Congress has decided to organise a public rally at Khejuri in East Midnapore later this July even as the police arrested four Trinamul Congress supporters who had allegedly prevented Youth Congress general secretary Usha Naidu from holding a meeting at Khejuri on Monday.
State Congress president Manas Bhunia on Tuesday gave a Khejuri Chalo call after his meeting with party president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi. Significantly, Mr Bhunia has given a call for Mangalkot Chalo on July 15 to mark the first anniversary of CPI(M) attack on a Congress delegation. “Manas da is trying to send the message to the Trinamul Congress that the Congress workers would not compromise with their self-respect,” a state Congress general secretary said.
Sources said that even AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi was unhappy with Monday’s incident when his Aam Admi Ke Sipahi were not allowed to enter Khejuri by Trinamul Congress supporters. He has directed Ms Naidu to visit Khejuri again shortly. Union corporate affairs minister Salman Khurshid, however, clarified that the incident would not affect the alliance. Meanwhile, the four arrested TMC were later released on personal bonds. Congress district president Manik Bhowmik said that the police had not arrested the real culprits. Trinamul Congress leader Partha Chatterjee denied that his party workers had carried out the attack.