Amid West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s decision that her Trinamool Congress (TMC) party will contest the Lok Sabha polls alone in the state, Congress state president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury faced backlash for saying that TMC MP Derek O’Brien is a “foreigner” while responding to a reporter’s question in Siliguri.

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Individuals from different sections of society and across political lines slammed the senior Congress leader on social media for his insensitive remark. People for Animals founder Pritish Nandy said that Adhir Ranjan is “single-handedly responsible” for keeping the Congress irrelevant in the state.

“The WBPCC President may be that rare seat winner for the Congress in West Bengal but he is single handedly Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. And comments like this, calling @derekobrienmp “a foreigner” shows the abysmal quality of his mindset,” Nandy said in a post on ‘X’.

The WBPCC President may be that rare seat winner for the Congress in West Bengal but he is single handedly responsible for keeping his party irrelevant in the state. And comments like this, calling @derekobrienmp “a foreigner” shows the abysmal quality of his mindset. https://t.co/HcRHAi1Mhm

— Pritish Nandy (@PritishNandy) January 26, 2024

Journalist Vir Sanghvi asked how the Congress is different from the “Sangh Parivar” for questioning the “Indian-ness” of other minorities. “For a party that prides itself on inclusivity how shameful is it for the WBPCC Prez to dismiss @derekobrienmp as ‘a foreigner’ ? Is this at all different from the Sangh Parivar questioning the Indian-ness of other minorities? He should be suspended or at least made to apologise,” Sanghvi said in a post. Another media personality Siddhartha Basu slammed Chowdhury for having such an “unjustifiable attitude” just for “provincial pickings”.

“Most unworthy of a man in his position to have such a condemnable, unjustifiable attitude. Shame. And all for petty provincial pickings,” Basu posted. Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TIPRA) founder Pradyot Deb Barma slammed Chowdhury for questioning O’Brien’s nationality.

“How is this inclusiveness? I know @derekobrienmp and to question his nationality is really showing how intelligent this man is ! Sadly such men are at the helm of decision making,” Barma posted. Meanwhile, The DeshBhakt, a political satire YouTube channel pointed out that the way Chowdhury reacted to O’Brien’s claim that the former was working at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) shows that O’Brien might have been right.

“@derekobrienmp claimed that @adhirrcinc was working at the behest of the BJP and it was because of him that the alliance between the TMC and Congress didn’t work out. The crass manner in which a foot-in-the-mouth Chowdhury reacted; shows that O’Brien may have been on to something,” The DeshBhakt said in a post.

Meanwhile, Chowdhury on Friday said that he has conveyed his regrets to Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien for calling him a “foreigner”. In a post on X, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, “I conveyed my regrets to Derek O’Brien for a word inadvertently uttered by me on him as FOREIGNER.”

Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien held Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury exclusively responsible for the alliance not working in the state. Lashing out at the Congress State unit President, O’Brien alleged that Chowdhury is speaking the language of the BJP.

“INDIA alliance has two main detractors: BJP and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. He speaks the language of the BJP. The three reasons for the alliance not working in Bengal: 1. Adhir Chowdhury 2. Adhir Chowdhury 3. Adhir Chowdhury,” O’Brien said. (ANI)

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