Congress slams Bhupender Yadav for poaching TMC MPs
Congress on Monday took a swipe at Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav over the raging political turbulence in the TMC, saying he has spent the day poaching when his special job is to nab poachers and prevent poaching, and not be one himself.
The Opposition party’s attack came after reports surfaced that around a dozen dissident TMC MPs gathered at the Motilal Nehru Marg residence of Union minister and BJP’s West Bengal election in-charge Bhupender Yadav.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications, Jairam Ramesh, said, “The Union Minister of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, who looked after elections in West Bengal, has spent the day poaching.”
“This minister’s special job is to nab poachers and prevent poaching and not be one himself,” Ramesh said, taking a dig at Yadav.
The simmering rebellion within the TMC appeared to gather fresh momentum on Monday, with rebel leader Ritabrata Banerjee portraying veteran Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Shekhar Ray’s resignation from the party and the Upper House as a sign of widening dissent against the official leadership. While TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and several senior MPs attended a meeting of the INDIA bloc leaders, reports surfaced of around a dozen dissident TMC MPs gathering at the Motilal Nehru Marg residence of Union minister and BJP’s West Bengal election in-charge Bhupender Yadav.
The meeting, viewed by many as a sign that the revolt within the party’s legislative ranks is now spilling into the Parliament, was attended by Ray.
The crisis engulfing the TMC deepened as 20 Lok Sabha MPs, led by Chief Whip Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, decided to write to Speaker Om Birla declaring support for the BJP-led NDA.
