KERALAM: AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal on Saturday accused the BJP of “authoritarian politics” over the arrest of Congress candidate Milan Pradhan ahead of the Nandigram by-election and said the party would not withdraw his nomination.
He also said the Congress would intensify protests across the country, asserting that its candidate Milan Pradhan would continue to contest despite his arrest.
Speaking to the reporters in Alappuzha, Venugopal said, “What is happening in Bengal is completely undemocratic. Our candidate in the by-election will not withdraw the nomination. We will organise protests across the country against this. It is the Congress that is fighting the BJP across the country, not the CPI(M). There is not even basic democracy left in the country. Those who raise their voices are being targeted with false cases, and the country is being turned into a ‘banana republic’.”
“Nandigram is a black chapter in the history of Indian democracy. Even if the candidate is killed, the nomination will not be withdrawn. The same candidate will contest the election. We will turn the Nandigram issue into a nationwide protest. The Election Commission has not uttered a word on the matter. Congress workers will not rest until what we see as BJP’s authoritarian politics is brought to an end. In 2029, we will defeat the BJP,” he further said.
