Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee has slammed the Congress for “double standards” over its stand on the “misuse” of central agencies by the Union government against opposition parties.

He said the Congress “welcomes” it when CBI and ED “harass” other opposition parties, but frowns when its leaders are summoned.

West Bengal’s ruling party had made it clear last month that it would maintain equidistance from both the Congress and the BJP, and try to work towards a grouping of regional forces to take on the saffron camp in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

"When the CBI and ED conduct raids on TMC leaders in Bengal, the Congress lauds the central agencies, but when senior Congress leaders are summoned in Delhi, they turn against the probe agencies and start protesting," he said.

Banerjee, the TMC national general secretary, was speaking at an ‘Adhiveshan’ (convention) here late on Monday, as part of the party’s 60-day mass outreach programme launched last month.

"The Congress talks about fighting against the BJP, but in Bengal, it is hand-in-glove with the BJP and the Left in opposing us," he alleged.

Banerjee also asserted that only the TMC can confront the saffron party head-on.

"Only (chief minister) Mamata Banerjee and the TMC can take the BJP head-on, not the Congress. After Congress won in Himachal Pradesh last year, the BJP-led Centre didn't reduce the prices of LPG and cooking oil.

“However, when BJP lost in West Bengal in the 2021 assembly polls, they were forced to slash the prices of LPG and cooking oil. That's the difference, and people should vote keeping their priorities and basic needs in mind," he said at the programme in Uttar Dinajpur district.

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