KOLKATA: West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Chowdhury on Wednesday accused the ruling TMC of practising vote bank politics to create a division in the society, and said that his party, under no circumstance, would allow that.
Addressing a public meeting at Baduria in North 24 Parganas district, he said the TMC, instead of taking concrete steps to improve the economic condition of Muslims and other minorities, is shedding crocodile tears for them since 2011.
"The TMC's divisive policies have led to the growth of the BJP in the state. The ruling party is doling out token incentives for Muslims and Hindu priests before the polls. It shows the real intent of the party," the Congress leader in Lok Sabha said.
He alleged that both the Narendra Modi government at the Centre and the Mamata Banerjee-led dispensation in Bengal have now entered into a competition to "show their love for Hindus".
"Such brand of politics will only create a division in society. The Congress will never allow that to happen," Chowdhury said.
Earlier in the day, he had led a rally in the area, in which opposition Congress leader in the Assembly, Abdul Mannan, had also participated.
Chowdhury took out the rally just days after Congress MLA from Baduria in the district, Qazi Abdur Rahim, joined the ruling party, in the presence of senior ministers Firhad Hakim and Partha Chatterjee.
The veteran leader said people in North 24 Parganas were "shocked and aggrieved" to learn about Rahim's move as he had won the election on a Congress ticket.