The Congress issued a stern warning to its party workers in West Bengal following what it deemed as "grave" anti-party activities, notably the defacing of posters featuring party chief Mallikarjun Kharge outside the West Bengal Congress office in Kolkata. The incident involved smearing ink over Kharge's picture and labeling him as an "agent of Trinamool Congress" on the banners.
Expressing deep concern over these actions, Congress leader KC Venugopal emphasized the party's intolerance towards such public displays of defiance and indiscipline. He instructed the General Secretary in charge of West Bengal to furnish a factual report regarding these acts of gross indiscipline.
Venugopal highlighted the damaging impact of such behavior on the sentiments of party workers and supporters. He underscored the seriousness with which the party views these anti-party activities and reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining discipline and unity.
The defacement of Kharge's picture occurred shortly after his comments rebuking Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for his verbal attacks on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Kharge emphasized that Chowdhury did not have the authority to decide on the Trinamool Congress's membership within the Opposition-led INDIA bloc.
Responding to Kharge's remarks, Chowdhury defended his stance, citing concerns about the political implications for Congress in Bengal. Despite the exchange, Kharge later praised Chowdhury as a dedicated party member, recognizing his contributions as a leader in West Bengal.
The backdrop to these developments lies in the fallout between Banerjee's Trinamool Congress and the Congress during seat-sharing negotiations for the Lok Sabha elections. Following this rift, Banerjee announced her party's decision to contest the elections independently, prompting repeated criticisms from Chowdhury.
