Cong leaders slam Mamata at Kolkata rally

Within two days of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee meeting Congress president Rahul Gandhi at the meeting of Opposition leaders in Delhi, Bengal Congress leaders, including AICC in-charge of Bengal Gaurav Gogoi, slammed the chief minister for her "double standards" in relation to the Congress.

The Congress leadership accused Banerjee of being friendly to Congress in Delhi and hostile in Bengal. The comments were made at a public meeting at Esplanade in central Kolkata on Wednesday.

"You (Banerjee) give sweets to our leaders in Delhi. But in Bengal you get them arrested. Such double standards cannot go on," said Gogoi.

He also asked other parties to not think that the Congress is weak and has been knocked out.

"Don't make the mistake of thinking that the Congress is weak. We will return to power. It is impossible to knock out the Congress," said Gogoi.

He also said the Congress will hold a rally at the iconic Brigade Parade Ground in Kolkata, which will be addressed by party president Rahul Gandhi.

Taking a swipe at Mamata, state Congress chief Somen Mitra asked her to save her own party before commenting on other parties.

"Narendra Modi gave a call for 'Congress-free India'. Now, look what happened to BJP. Mamata Banerjee often says that she will reduce the Congress to a signboard in Bengal. She should first ensure that Trinamool Congress does not itself become a signboard," said Mitra.

Former state chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury slammed Mamata for not taking Rahul Gandhi's name while congratulating the winners of the just-concluded elections.

"It (elections results) is Rahul Gandhi's victory. But Mamata Banerjee did not even mention him once while congratulating the winners. The reason is that she is afraid of being ousted from power in Bengal," said Chowdhury.

He also said that while Banerjee described the results of the Assembly election as a "victory for democracy", she herself was throttling democracy in Bengal.