Kolkata, September 18 (Daily Kiran) : The political climate in Kolkata is heating up as the Congress party reacts to the recent arrest of Milan Pradhan, its candidate for the Nandigram by-election. This arrest is linked to a nearly two-decade-old murder case from the 2007 Nandigram movement, prompting serious allegations against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission.
Shubhankar Sarkar, president of the Congress Committee, expressed his concerns, stating, “A new method of intimidation has begun in Bengal. However, our leader Rahul Gandhi has advised, ‘Do not intimidate anyone, and do not be afraid.’ The BJP is frightened; they have fled from Nandigram to Bhawanipur. Why? Because they know that Nandigram is with the BJP.”
Sarkar questioned the timing of Pradhan’s arrest, pointing out that he had been living freely without any issues until he became the Indian National Congress (INC) candidate. “Milan Pradhan has been roaming around openly, and the police had no problems with him. But as soon as he became the INC candidate, suddenly accusations emerged,” he remarked.
He further criticized both the Nandigram police and the Election Commission for their silence on the matter. “The Election Commission has jurisdiction during elections. Despite searching for so long, they had nothing to say until he became a candidate. Why arrest him immediately after his nomination?” Sarkar added.
Describing the situation as a form of dictatorship, he claimed, “The BJP is exercising a kind of tyranny across the country, similar to what is happening in Bengal, despite the so-called ‘double-engine government’ here. Their message seems to be—‘one nation, one election, and one political party.’”
Congress leader Suman Roy Chaudhary also weighed in, stating, “As far as I know, Milan Pradhan was a key figure in the Nandigram movement. In political movements, cases and warrants can sometimes remain pending. Why did the West Bengal government and the ruling BJP suddenly remember that Milan Pradhan should be arrested right before the nomination deadline? This is political vengeance.”
The Congress party has accused the BJP of weaponizing old cases to intimidate the opposition ahead of elections, while the BJP insists that the law is taking its course.
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