WB Congress unit to avoid Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Manu Singvi in party’s future programmes

In a major development after Narada sting case, West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Saturday said that the party will not invite Congress stalwarts Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singvi during future programmes.

Citing Sibal and Singhvi’s representation of TMC government in Narada sting case, Chowdhury has announced the decision to avoid both senior party leaders during future programmes.

“We will not invite Sibal and Singhvi for any future prgramme of the party,” he told reporters in Kolkata.

“Sibal had told us that it was a professional matter but WBPCC will not invite them for any future programme,” he added.

Chowdhury said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should ask the ministers and TMC MPs whose names figured in Narada sting operation to resign from their posts.

Also read: TMC draws flak from SC for casting aspersion on HC for asking CBI to probe Narada sting operation

Before flagging off a Congress rally to press for the demand he said, “If the CM has an iota of honesty, let her set an example and ask those leaders to step down from their respective posts till they are absolved of the charges by the investigating agency.”

On Banerjee’s recent statement that she had made K D Singh a Rajya Sabha MP on good faith, Chowdhury said, “Is it believable that you give nomination to someone without knowing his antecedents?”

Singh’s name had surfaced with regard to the funding of the Narada sting operation.

Chowdhury also accused Banerjee of warming up to the BJP to save her party leaders.

Also read: HC stays Kolkata Police probe into Narada sting

“One day she declares to wage all out war against the BJP and the very day she moots the name of L K Advani for the post President of India. Where is her secular credibility?” he said.

“In fact Banerjee wants to keep BJP and Advani in good humour as the latter is the chairman of the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee”, he claimed.

The state Congress chief said the party would soon organise a big rally in the state to protest against the “misrule” of TMC and BJP’s “dangerous game plan” in the state.

He cautioned against any attempt to polarise the Bengal politics along saffron lines and blamed the TMC for paving the way for the BJP to make inroads in the state.

“BJP has brought a new political culture in the state which is against the tradition of Bengal. TMC is responsible for such a situation”, he alleged.

“I have asked Congress workers to campaign for maintaining Bengal’s secular tradition,” Chowdhury said.