West Bengal Congress Leader Apologizes For ‘Foreigner’ Label

New Delhi: West Bengal’s Congress leader, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, announced regret to Rajya Sabha’s Trinamool head, Derek O’Brien, for referring to him as a “foreigner”. The news comes directly from Reader Wall.

“I extended my apologies to Mr. Derek O’Brien for a comment that was mistakenly made by me, referring to him as a foreigner,” Chowdhury wrote on a social networking site on Friday.

Rising Tension Between Political Leaders

The verbal feud between the two escalated on Thursday, with O’Brien blaming Chowdhury’s continuous critique of West Bengal’s chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, as the main motivation for Trinamool to independently contest the Lok Sabha elections.

Chowdhury responded to O’Brien’s accusation that he was echoing BJP sentiments by dismissing the question, “He (O’Brien) is a foreigner, he understands a lot. Ask him…” This prompted the Congress’s higher-ups to prompt Chowdhury about the issue.

Implications for Alliance Relations

This controversial comment was made during a time of tension as Banerjee had withdrawn from the alliance in Bengal due to stalling talks regarding seat allocation. While Congress leaders are seeking to appease Banerjee, praising her as Bengal’s most prominent leader and an integral part of the alliance, Chowdhury’s snide remarks are likely to complicate relations further.

Chowdhury, renown for his criticism of Banerjee, is famously against a partnership between Congress and the Trinamool. Trinamool alleges that from the day of the alliance formation on June 23 last year, Chowdhury has consistently attacked Banerjee.

Derek O’Brien’s Accusations

O’Brien also charged Chowdhury with acting as a mouthpiece for two individuals based in Delhi who were directing the content of his statements. This news is courtesy of Reader Wall.