Deeply disturbed by the Congress’ tirade against her government over the Park Street rape case, chief minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to draw Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s attention to what a state minister described as an act of betrayal by an ally.
Ms Banerjee who left for Delhi on Tuesday evening, is scheduled to meet Dr Singh on Wednesday evening to discuss the Gorkha Territorial Authority agreement and some other administrative issues.
On Monday, the Congress workers led by councillor Mala Roy took out a protest rally demanding city police commissioner Ranjit Kumar Pachnanda’s resignation and chief minister’s apology for their mishandling of the Park Street rape case.
“That the CPI(M) will try to make political mileage over the issue was expected but what came as a shock was the Congress’ response. CPI(M) leaders merely criticised her government while the workers of our coalition partner hit the street,” the state minister considered close to the chief minister said.
He claimed that the Congress party’s stand was aimed at defaming Ms Banerjee. “This is nothing new. In the past few months, the Congress has repeatedly embarrassed us. Congress MPs Mausam Benazir Noor and Deepa Das Munshi took out a silent rally in Didi’s Kolkata South constituency in November to protest the alleged attacks on their party workers. Thereafter, the Congress leaders organised anti-government rallies all across the state, including Kolkata over farmers’ plight,” he added.
The Trinamul Congress-Congress relations have deteriorated sharply of late. On one hand, there is no love lost between the leaders of the two parties in the state and on the other, Ms Banerjee has constantly caused troubles for the UPA at the Centre. Her opposition to the NCTC and her recent letter to the Prime Minister protesting the extra flow of water to Bangladesh due to defective sluice gates of Farakka Barrage are the latest instances of the growing differences between the two allies.