BJP rule in Bengal will not be different from the rest of the country: Venugopal

Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal. File Image | Photo credit: ANI

The newly elected BJP government in West Bengal will not be different from other parts of the country where the party is in power, Congress General Secretary (Organization) KC Venugopal said, accusing the ruling party of undermining the constitution and attacking the livelihood of the common people.

Mr. Venugopal made these remarks in Kolkata after an organizational review of the state unit in Bengal following the recent assembly elections.

During his visit to Kolkata, he also met senior journalist, former editor of The Telegraph, R. Rajagopal, who alleged that he was subjected to harassment after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

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In a post on X, Mr. Venugopal said Mr. Rajagopal’s passport renewal was denied after his name was struck off the electoral rolls despite being a Calcutta voter since 2010.

He claimed that while Mr Rajagopal’s appeal against the exclusion was pending, the passport authorities had rejected his request for renewal, describing the episode as “revenge politics” and a dangerous precedent of using the SIR process to deprive citizens of essential documents.

Addressing a press conference after the two-day organizational review meeting, Mr. Venugopal claimed that the BJP did not believe in the Constitution.

“They don’t believe in the constitution. They want to destroy the livelihood of the common people. That’s why they have started evicting shopkeepers. The Congress will stand on the side of the poor and continue to fight the BJP,” he said.

On Monday (June 29, 2026), he met district congress presidents and AICC members from the state, while Tuesday’s (June 30, 2026) meeting was attended by Congress candidates contesting the assembly polls.

AICC working committee member Deepa Dasmunshi, AICC West Bengal in-charge Ghulam Ahmad Mir and West Bengal Congress Committee president Shubhankar Sarkar attended the meeting.

Responding to questions about the INDIA bloc and criticism of its functioning, Mr. Venugopal said the alliance remains united in opposing the BJP and the RSS despite political differences among its constituents.

“In Kerala we are fighting CPI(M). In Punjab we are fighting AAP. But when BJP and RSS attack pluralism, democracy and constitutional rights, we are united to stand against them. That is the purpose of INDIA Bloc,” he said.

Mr. Venugopal stepped up his attack on the BJP, alleging that the party was trying to dictate every aspect of public life.

“Not providing eggs in the mid-day meal program shows that the BJP wants to decide what students should eat. It wants to assert its dominance everywhere. It is pushing for a uniform civil code and introducing laws in legislatures with the real intention of suppressing dissent,” he said.

On the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Mr. Venugopal alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad were involved in the incident and questioned the BJP’s silence.

He said the Congress has also reviewed its preparations for the upcoming polls and civic body elections in the state, adding that a decision on possible electoral alliances will be taken after assessing the prevailing political situation.

Meanwhile, State Congress spokesperson Suman Roy Chowdhury said the party had received permission from the Army authorities for its proposed ‘Chalo Shaheed Minar’ program in Kolkata on July 21.

Published – 1 Jul 2026 09:17 IST