TMC to go its own way, says Congress should not behave like 'Big Boss' of Opposition

Amid the ongoing ruckus in Parliament over Rahul Gandhi’s controversial anti-India remarks at Cambridge University, the Trinamool Congress seemed to maintain its distance from both the Congress and BJP. Speaking over the issue, TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay on Friday warned Congress and stated the party should not believe it is the 'big boss' of the Opposition. 

“BJP wants to show Rahul Gandhi as the Opposition face. The saffron party thinks that it will be easy for them to win the elections if the Congress leader is showcased as the Opposition face in the upcoming 2024 elections. There is no need to discuss this topic before the elections,” Bandyopadhyay said after meeting TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee at her residence. 

Maintaining distance from the BJP and the Congress, the TMC leader said, “We will go our own way, maintain distance from the Congress and the BJP. We are not talking about forming any third front at the moment. The Congress should not feel that it is the big boss of the Opposition front.” 

He further stated that TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will meet powerful regional parties to fight the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, scheduled for 2024. 

Congress denies Rahul’s apology

Intensifying the war of words, the Congress party has reiterated that Rahul Gandhi won't apologise for the anti-India remarks he made during his speech at Cambridge University. The development took place after the 52-year-old Wayanad MP addressed multiple issues including Indian democracy, the Pulwama attack, Pegasus row, and India under BJP during his UK visit. 

Defending Rahul Gandhi's remarks, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge termed the Wayanad MP a 'true patriot’. In a series of tweets, Kharge said that the BJP is deliberately igniting such issues to divert the citizens' attention from real issues.

जिन्होंने आज़ादी की लड़ाई में रत्ती भर भी योगदान नहीं दिया, वो असली Anti-National है।

भाजपा भयावह बेरोज़गारी, कमरतोड़ महंगाई और “परम मित्र” के घोटाले को छिपाने के लिए, इससे ध्यान भटकाने के लिये वो ये सब बातें कर रहें हैं।

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— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge)

Notably, the Congress leader’s statement sparked massive outrage with the leaders of the saffron party demanding his apology and suspension from Parliament. Slamming the Congress leader, BJP president JP Nadda said that Rahul Gandhi has now become a permanent part of the anti-nationalist toolkit.