The Congress and the Left Front Wednesday took out a joint protest rally against the ruling Trinamool Congress in the state and the BJP-led Centre in Kolkata. Congress workers took to streets to protest the cancellation of senior party leader Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha membership and also seeking a joint parliamentary committee investigation on the Adani issue. The Left Front, on the other hand, took part in the rally to protest against the ruling TMC in the wake of the alleged corruption charges levelled against its leaders in West Bengal. Left Front chairman Biman Bose, CPI(M) state secretary Mohammad Salim, RSP leader Manoj Bhattacharya and, Congress leaders Ashutosh Chatterjee, Riju Basu and Koustav Bagchi led the rally from Ramlila Maidan to Park Circus. Bose said, “There is a tacit understanding between the TMC and the BJP. There is a fake fight going on between them. We are focused on our fight against both these forces and the fight for people’s rights. We welcome the Congress for joining our rally.” Meanwhile, some Left Front and Congress workers allegedly shouted “chor” (thief) slogans after spotting TMC members on a road where their rally was being taken out. However, the police intervened and persuaded the Left workers to not provoke others. Congress leader Koustav Bagchi said, “TMC leaders indulge in rampant corruption. They are being given fair treatment for their misdeeds.”
