Cong workers battle it out, MP walks out

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 17 JULY: Whilst the Congress workers were observing a 12-hour bandh across the state in protest against attacks on Congress MLAs in Mangalkote, two groups of Congress workers were fighting each other in Chanchal.

A meeting was held on 17 July to unite the two factions, develop its organisation, and adopt some resolutions for the development of Chanchal, sub divisional head quarters of the northern part of Malda district.

There was a scuffle between two groups of Congress workers where the North Malda MP and MLA were helpless to control the situation. Finally, the MP for North Malda, Ms Mausam Noor, left the meeting.

Though the MLA of Chanchal (formerly known as Kharba), Mr Asif Mehbub, denied such an incident, he did admit that “there were differences of opinion amongst a few leaders on the issue of development.”

One Congress leader, Mr Mohd Sahid, came to join the programme on the morning of the 17 July, but other Congress leaders and Chanchal panchayat samiti members, including the sabhapati, prevented him from joining them.

Mr Sahid was suspended from the party before the recent panchayat election.

Chanchal block Congress had been protesting against the decision to accept Mr Mohd Sahid when the South Malda MP, Mr AH Khan Choudhury, engaged him in election work in his constituency just before parliamentary elections.

The Kharba MLA, Mr Mehbub, said: “We do not have any confirmation from district Congress committee that Mr Sahid has rejoined the party.

No decision has been taken on this issue. We will discuss the matter later.”