AICC general secretary K C Venugopal
Venugopal said that the police took Pradhan into custody citing a case linked to the 2007 Nandigram agitation, within an hour of the Trinamool Congress candidate’s withdrawal and former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee ’s announcement of support for the Congress nominee.
He said election commission ’s silence over opposition candidates being unable to file nominations or campaign independently was a matter of serious concern. Venugopal alleged that West Bengal Police pressured Pradhan to withdraw his candidature in exchange for relief in existing cases and other benefits, but that the candidate had refused, saying he would not withdraw “even at the cost of his life”. He said the party was proud of Pradhan’s courage and democratic conviction. Venugopal said Congress, under Rahul Gandhi, was waging an uncompromising fight against what it called BJP’s anti-democratic conduct, both inside and outside Parliament, and that the Nandigram episode would be escalated into a nationwide protest. He said the party would review its electoral performance and organisational matters but would not compromise on its fight for democratic rights and justice.
He added that the Pradesh Congress Committee president, senior AICC functionaries and he himself had remained in touch with Pradhan and his family through the night, and that the party would extend full support to them.