The Congress' Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is poised to encounter administrative challenges as it enters its second phase from Malda starting January 31. A spokesperson from the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) revealed that the state administration rejected the Congress state leadership's proposal to host a lunch for Rahul Gandhi at the guest house of the state irrigation department in Bhaluka, Malda.
According to state Congress leaders, the administration cited Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's presence in Malda for an administrative review program on that day, declaring all state-run guest houses off-limits to third parties. Additionally, the Congress is awaiting permission for a meeting at Baharampur Stadium in Baharampur town, Murshidabad district, on February 1, with the district administration citing the Chief Minister's presence.
Despite submitting the permission request for the lunch well in advance and adhering to proper norms, the Congress expressed frustration at the last-minute denial. Bhupendranath Halder, Congress’s Malda District General Secretary, suggested that state government officials may have feared displeasing the Chief Minister.
In response, the Trinamool Congress accused the Congress of needlessly politicizing the issue, asserting that it is common practice to reserve state-run facilities for administrative purposes.
This administrative interference is not new for the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. In the first phase, which began on January 25, the Congress faced various hurdles. The stage set up in Boxirhat, Cooch Behar District, to welcome Rahul had to be dismantled and relocated due to police objections. Subsequently, the Siliguri Metropolitan Police denied permission for a public meeting by Rahul in Siliguri town on January 28. State Congress leaders mentioned that the schedule of the yatra in Jalpaiguri town might also need adjustments based on district police authorities' insistence.
(With Agency Inputs)
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