Congress in Bengal gives total boycott call to Abhishek Manu Singhvi

Kolkata, May 1

The West Bengal unit of Congress has given a total boycott call to senior party leader and noted counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi for the latter's decision to regularly accept briefs on behalf of Trinamool Congress and arguing at the Supreme Court.

State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said on Monday that despite repeated objections, some lawyer-leaders like Singhvi are regularly accepting briefs for Trinamool Congress members.

"He had accepted similar briefs for Trinamool Congress in the matters of Saradha chit fund and Narada video tape scams. At that time too as state Congress president I clearly said that we do not want his presence in any of the party programmes in West Bengal. Now I am saying this again. We are giving a total boycott call to Singhvi," Chowdhury said.

He also said that as a member of Congress national working committee, he will take up the matter at the highest level of the party.

"Singhvi's argument had been that the party leadership cannot decide on his professional decisions as a legal counsel. If he has this professional right, that the ordinary Congress workers too have the right to protest against any of his actions that poses immense embarrassment for the party," Chowdhury added.

State Congress leader and a counsel of Calcutta High Court Kaustav Bagchi has gone a step ahead in claiming that whenever Singhvi will step in Kolkata for any purpose he and his followers will demonstrate.

"Let the party high-command take whatever disciplinary action against me. But I will surely demonstrate against him."

On Sunday, Bagchi had forwarded a strongly-worded letter to Singhvi, saying: "Workers and leaders of West Bengal Pradesh Congress unequivocally say that WE ARE ASHAMED OF YOU."

In May last year, Bagchi led a protest at the Calcutta High Court premises against senior Congress leader and former Union Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram, for appearing to argue a case on behalf of the state's Trinamool Congress government in a case filed by Chowdhury.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress leadership has claimed that besides professional commitment, Singhvi also had a political commitment towards the party as he got elected to the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal as a Congress candidate with the support of Trinamool Congress.

"Congress could have got Singhvi elected to the upper House of Parliament in its own strength unless Mamata Banerjee had taken a conscious decision to back him then. So, he also has a political commitment towards us," said veteran Trinamool Congress legislator Tapas Roy.