Congress and CPI(M) have become BJP agents: Abhishek

kolkata: A week ahead of the Sagardighi by-polls in Murshidabad, Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, on Sunday, urged not to caste a single vote for either Congress or the CPI(M) since these parties have allegedly formed an “unholy” nexus with the BJP and voting for them would allow the saffron brigade to implement NRC in the region.

Addressing a huge gathering, Abhishek said: “Sagardighi by-poll is vital. In the Assembly elections, the people of Murshidabad gave TMC 20 MLAs and this time, too, you need to vote for us so that we can expose the unholy nexus between the Congress, CPI(M) and the BJP.”

Clarifying his statements, Abhishek asked his party workers to unfurl a banner with a photograph on the stage. He said it showed the Congress candidate Byron Biswas with the BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari. This shows that Congress has colluded with the BJP.

He said: “The Congress candidate is actually a BJP candidate. Both the Congress and CPI(M) have become BJP agents”.He further went on to play an audio clip where, according to him, Suvendu Adhikari is claiming to have already ensured that “lotus will bloom in Sanatani booths” and “TMC will not get votes from booths in minority areas”. “How did Suvendu ensure this? Also, I challenge the opposition parties to file a defamation suit against me if the evidence that I just presented on stage is false,” Abhishek remarked.He warned: “If BJP gains ground they will implement NRC here. Congress has an organisation in Assam, yet 17 lakh people were left out because of NRC. In Bengal, TMC is protesting against NRC for the good of the people and will continue to do so.” He told the gathering that they should vote for TMC’s Sagardighi candidate Debashish Banerjee while remembering that in doing so they will be indirectly voting for party supremo Mamata Banerjee.

“Big BJP leaders fell flat on their faces trying to defeat Mamata Banerjee who fought for Bengal, ensuring we don’t have to sell our spine to the BJP. This Central government has stopped the funds which were supposed to pay 17 lakh families here for 100 days work,” he pointed out and promised: “We will try and raise the amount of money that Murshidabad women earn from rolling bidis. We will try and increase it to Rs 240,” he said.