Murshidabad (West Bengal) [India], February 28 (ANI): West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Choudhary, who was greeted with slogans against him during the inspection of the Nashipur-Azimganj Rail Bridge in Murshidabad, on Wednesday said he was visiting the site as the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee and not as a Congress leader.
“All those who have come here are officials from the Railway department. This is a government program. So they are here. This is not a program of any politcal party. I have come here as the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, not as a Congress leader,” Choudhary said speaking to reporters as he was met with slogans from some locals who were protesting against his visit.
The Congress Lok Sabha MP from Murshidabad’s Berhampore constituency reasoned that officials from the Railway Department have also come for the inspection though the Raiways Department is headed by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Minister.
“The Railway Minister is from the BJP government. Why have people from his Department come here? Why is the Eastern Railway Regional Manager here? This is because it is a program of the Public Accounts Committee,” Choudhary said.
Questioning the intellect of the protesters who raised slogans against him, the senior Congress leader said that it is his right to inspect the project and it is the responsibility of the officials of Railways department to answer his summons.
“I don’t know whether these people know anything about it or not. As the chairman of the committee, I have called the railway officials to come here. They have come here because it is an issue related to the Railways. I can even call all officals of the Railways if required. The Eastern Railway Regional Manager has not come here to satisfy me. This is their responsibility and it is our right,” Chowdhury said.
The Congress MP said that he will have a conversation with Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and will ask him to inaugurate the railway bridge soon.
“There is a Railways Department which has a Railways Minister. I talk with him as well. I will tell the Railway Minister that I have visited here and to open this (bridge) soon,” he said.
Chowdhury said that the Railways Minister will feel ashemed when he hears about this incident.
“I know he (Vaishnaw) will feel ashamed when he comes to know that your people were raising slogans against me. But what to do? There are some insensitive people here. If they shout at me like wolves, what can I do?” he said.
Speaking about the protesters, Chowdhury said, “The Railways RPF may know more about it. I am inspectinmg a number of stations one by one. This is our right. We are doing it from the Public Accounts Committee.”
One of the protesters said that Chowdhury has no role in the inauguration of the Nashipur-Azimganj Rail Bridge and has come to the site only for getting media footage.
“We all know the poor condition in which this railway bridge was lying for so many days. When Gouri Shankar Ghosh became the MLA from here he promised us that this rail bridge will be opened and it is being constructed under the leadership of Ashwini Vaishnaw and Prime Minister Narednra Modi. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has no role to be here. He only visits here to get media footage,” he said. (ANI)
, https://www.aninews.in/news/national/politics/have-come-here-as-pac-chairman-adhir-after-being-greeted-with-protests-in-murshidabad20240228234148
