The perennial in fights within the Congress party once again bare out in open after a fresh conflict of interests broke out between former PCC chief Birajit Sinha and incumbent state Congress president Pijush Biswas.
The internecine bickering, claimed to have triggered centering an appointment of Youth Congress president in Kailasahar, known to be the territory Birajit Sinha without prior consultation with him later escalated after Pijush denied to give a positive nod to a Bandh called by 16 frontal organizations of the Congress party without consulting the present chief.
Birajit sinha in a telephonic conversation accused Pijush of playing into the hands of BJP and CPM for his personal gain and it was the reason behind his refusal to the Bandh called by the organizations. Whereas, Congress insiders refused to support his claims and said that none of the heads of all these organizations turned up to support the Bandh.
Birajit, however, said, “there are many reasons behind his reluctance towards the agitation called by 16 frontal organizations of the Congress party. I have been fighting against the CPM and will be fighting against BJP till my last breath. The present president might have his own reasons for not coming out against the establishment”.
He also alleged, people have witnessed him defending people who are involved in serious crimes and scams. Being the latest, he has defended YP Singh which shows his hidden interest. Not only this, he also shares a good rapport with some of the council minister and heads of CPM party, Birajit claimed.
Reacting sharply on the allegations raised by his colleague, Pijush said, “I will quit politics if someone can establish the allegations”. Speaking exclusively to this reporter, he said, “it is a fact that some people are using the name of Congress for the purpose of income. I have never done this. I have earned a lot but never compromised with my political integrity and professional ethics. There is no instance when I have used the name of Congress for my personal earning”.
Biswas said, the dedicated Congress workers know about my struggle for the Congress workers. In Bir Chandra Manu incident where 13 Congress workers have been falsely implicated for killing CPM leaders, in Bimal Sinha muder cases when 11 Congress workers have been arrested in charge of murder, even when Birajit Sinha has been arrested in a murder case, it is Pijush Biswas, who stand to fight for them. None of the Congress leaders, even the then party president has done anything, Biswas added.
Biswas also further said that it might be the “Bardhaman Pharma case” that left Birajit Sinha angry as one of his close relatives was accused in the case. “I have fought the case in the interest of the party as Dr Ashok Sinha, a former Congressman moved the Court with a PIL on the issue. This case is also a fight against the corrupt practices of the then CPM party. Rather than that I have never appeared for any CPM MLA or Minister in the Court”, Pijush said.
Clarifying on the Bandh, he said, “calling a bandh without consulting with the party chief is an act against the party and can be called off by the party president”.
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