BJP flags Cong alliance with ISF in West Bengal

Says tie-up with communal party only to keep Gandhis in power

March 02, 2021 08:35 pm | Updated 08:35 pm IST - NEW DELHI

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra. File

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra. File

BJP on Tuesday waded into the internal differences that have arisen within the Congress party especially with regard to the latter’s alliance with the Indian Secular Front (ISF) in West Bengal, stating that the alliance, as well as other political alliances, were only for the maintenance of the “political relevance of the Gandhi family.”

“This alliance and several others entered into by the Congress is not for improving its performance or offering transformative leadership and good governance, but to preserve the political relevance of the Gandhi family,” said BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra.

“Many months ago, in 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had used the correct phrase to describe such alliances as “ thug-bandhan ” (alliance of deception) rather than a gath-bandhan (alliance),” he added. This is now happening in West Bengal, he said while addressing a presser at the party headquarters in New Delhi.

“The tussle within the Congress party over this alliance with a party set up by a Muslim cleric Abbas Siddiqui, which in our view is hardly a secular outfit, has also come out in the open. There is a war being waged on Twitter among different Congress leaders and on TV too, where the Congress’ own leaders have asked whether such a tie-up can be considered the secularism as espoused by Mahatma Gandhi?” said Mr Patra.

“While what is happening within the Congress is its own internal issue, it is very sad to see leaders like Ghulam Nabi Azad being castigated by the Congress,” he said.

“This is core hypocrisy and double speak — the Congress that terms itself a secular party but ties up with the ISF in West Bengal, with the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) in Assam, and the Welfare Party, a front organisation of the Jamaat-e-Islami in Kerala,” he added.

“The pinnacle of the hypocrisy is the fact that the Congress is fighting in alliance with the Left in West Bengal and opposing the same party in Kerala. After tying up with parties like ISF, AIUDF, Indian Union Muslim League etc, it is running a government in Maharashtra with the Shiv Sena. There is no logic here, save the logic of power and to keep the Gandhis in power at all costs,” he said.

Leaders of the Congress, like Anand Sharma have questioned the alliance with the ISF in West Bengal, which was the reference made by Mr. Patra in his presser.

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