No one will be able to destroy Congress, leaders joining TMC 'drama', says Venugopal

The Congress on Wednesday termed the crossing over of some of its leaders to the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC "drama" while asserting the party will not be weakened by such efforts and "no one can destroy it".

Attempts to weaken the Congress have been made earlier too but have not succeeded and will never succeed as the party has been raising people's issues and will continue to do so, its general secretary K C Venugopal told reporters.

Some Congress leaders have recently joined the Trinamool Congress which is planning to expand its electoral footprint outside West Bengal with a focus on the 2024 general elections.

Congress leader and ex-MP Kirti Azad and Ashok Tanwar, who quit the grand old party in 2019, joined the TMC in the presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday.

Also read: Congress to rally against 'Modi-made Mehangai' in Delhi on Dec 12

Earlier, Congress leader and former chief minister of poll-bound Goa Louzinho Faleiro had joined the TMC. Before that, former MP and Mahila Congress chief Sushmita Dev had joined the Trinamool Congress.

"We are not bothered about all these... If somebody is taking people from our party, it will not matter at all. If somebody is thinking that they can destroy the Congress one day, it will not happen. Many people have tried these kinds of things earlier also," Venugopal told reporters when asked about leaders from the party joining the TMC.

"Our motive is very clear and that is to fight against the anti-people, anti-poor government and fight with conviction and sincerity," he said, adding the other opposition parties should also do so if they want to attack the BJP.

He also asked what they will gain by weakening other opposition parties.

"We are being bothered about these things (leaders quitting Congress) too much. These have only become dramas," Venugopal said.

The Congress general secretary, Organisation, said the party is expressing the general sentiments and sorrows of the common people "caused by the bad policies and actions" of the Narendra Modi government.

He said the party is in the field and is fighting with the BJP.

The main focus is to fight the "anti-people attitude of the BJP" and to give relief to the common people, Venugopal said, adding they believe the Congress is the only national party that is doing this kind of agitation and opposing the BJP all over the country.

Asked about the decision to repeal the three farm laws, he said many things need clarification, including the grant of compensation to farmers who died during the year-long agitation.

"Farmers are in distress and what is the Government of India doing about it?"

Venugopal also sought to know the government's stand on the issue of minimum support price. He also said the government has to come forward to help the people who have suffered due to Covid and grant them compensation of Rs 4 lakh each.

"The government is not at all bothered about them. We are emphasising that compensation should be given to them. We are talking to our state governments, and they are ready to give their share of compensation, but the Government of India has to pay Rs 4 lakh compensation," he said.

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