Jangipur (West Bengal): Veteran Congress leader Jairam Ramesh Thursday slammed the BJP for the arrest of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren on money laundering charges. He asserted that the BJP is perplexed after the success of Rahul Gandhi's ongoing 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra'.
"BJP's recent actions, including the arrest of Soren, are blatant attempts to derail the momentum gained by the yatra," Ramesh told reporters in West Bengal's Murshidabad district today.
He gave a detailed list of a series of strategic moves undertaken by the BJP coinciding with the yatra's progress, including the defection of politicians and Soren's arrest.
"The sudden departure of Milind Deora to the BJP at the onset of the yatra on January 14, followed by JD(U)'s exit from the grand alliance in Bihar just before it entered the state, and now, the arrest of Hemant Soren on the eve of its arrival in Jharkhand, are clear indications of the BJP's desperation," Ramesh said.
Terming the moves as "dirty politics" of the BJP, Ramesh said, "These actions reflect the BJP's underlying fear and confusion. By resorting to such tactics, they seek to suppress opposition voices and undermine the cohesion within the INDIA bloc."
Even though West Bengal Chief Minister has announced to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls solo, Congress is still hopeful of forging an alliance with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on a mutually acceptable seat-sharing arrangement.
Congress general secretary Ramesh said that the paramount objective of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is to throw BJP out of power. "In an alliance, there's a give-and-take dynamics. We are hopeful of reaching a consensus on a joint seat-sharing formula in the state that satisfies all parties involved. Mamata Ji has expressed her commitment to the INDIA bloc and we welcome this stance," Ramesh added.
Ramesh said he was aware of Banerjee's statements of TMC not engaging in seat-sharing issue with Congress as the grand old party is partnering CPI-M to help BJP. "I have heard about her statement, but it reflects her opinion, not the consensus of the alliance. Both the TMC and the Congress share the common goal of defeating the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections," he added.
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