Centre refutes state’s claims on floods
A political battle has begun over the cause of floods in south Bengal. While chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday sent a four-page letter to the Prime Minister after visiting the flood-affected areas
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday categorically said West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee was very much part of the INDIA bloc.
Gandhi also said as there were negotiations going on seat-sharing between the parties of the INDIA alliance, so there is “posturing” and that is normal.
“If you look at Mamata ji’s statement, she is very much part of the INDIA alliance and most of the other members who are part of the INDIA alliance are still members of it,” he said in response to a question on the West Bengal Chief Minister’s stance, at a press conference in Jharkhand’s Gumla district.
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Last month, the Chief Minister said the Congress was influenced by the CPI(M) and that she will never forgive those who support the Left party in the state.
Referring to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who recently severed ties with the INDIA alliance and joined the BJP-led NDA, the former Congress president said, “Of course, Mr Nitish Kumar has left the INDIA alliance and he has gone to the BJP. You can guess as to what the reasons are for him leaving.”
“That’s fine. We will fight in Bihar as the INDIA alliance. So I don’t agree that lots of our partners are not part of the alliance,” he added.
Asked about the viral video of him feeding a dog during the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, the parliamentarian said, “I called the dog, and the owner came. The dog was nervous, shivering and when I gave the biscuit it got scared. So I gave biscuits to the owner of the dog. The dog ate the biscuits from his hand. So, what’s the issue with it?”
Hitting back at the BJP for criticising him, Gandhi said, “I don’t understand BJP’s obsession with dogs.”
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