Kolkata, April 7 The TMC and the BJP are two sides of the same coin, and West Bengal needs a new coin, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Tuesday, as he hailed his party's decision to go solo after 20 years and offer the state a "third path."
Addressing a press conference on the launch of the Congress' manifesto for the West Bengal elections, the AICC general secretary in-charge communications also accused the BJP of "defaming" Rabindranath Tagore and claimed that it wants to abolish the national anthem "Jana Gana Mana."
Recalling the 1962 hit movie "Bees Saal Baad" starring Biswajeet, Ramesh said he was reminding people of the Bollywood film because it is exactly 20 years that the Congress is fighting assembly elections on its own strength in West Bengal.
"The Congress fighting on its own 'bees saal baad' is a boost for the party... In 2006, we fought alone, and in 2026, we are fighting on our own strength. So, as Congress president (Mallikarjun Kharge) said, this is like a boost for our party, workers, and the people," the Congress leader said.
He said that with the Congress fighting on its own strength, it is offering a "third path" that is different from the current path and is not one that the BJP follows.
This is a major achievement for the Congress, Ramesh added.
He also criticized the BJP and the Election Commission over the issue of the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
"You know about the Constitution, but few would know that our Constitution has 22 illustrations related to our history that were in the first two copies – Hindi and English – on which Constituent Assembly members signed," Ramesh said.
"Nandalal Bose from Shantiniketan was given responsibility for it. Today, the family members of Nandalal Bose have been removed from electoral rolls through SIR," he said.
Ramesh said that the SIR issue in West Bengal is a "dangerous weapon."
"The BJP government (at the Centre) and the Election Commission have used this weapon through SIR; we should be cautious. The matter is being heard in the Supreme Court, and we hope that all citizens will finally be included in the electoral rolls," Ramesh said.
Recalling that three months ago, a special debate took place in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Vande Mataram, Ramesh alleged that the BJP's objective was to target Rabindranath Tagore by using Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's influence.
"You would remember the Vande Mataram national song. In 1937, in the Kolkata session of the Congress... it was decided how the song would be adopted on the advice of Tagore," Ramesh said.
The BJP is "defaming" Tagore, and they want to abolish "Jana Gana Mana," Ramesh alleged, adding that this is their "cultural nationalism."
"As (Mallikarjun) Kharge ji said, the way to be free from the path of polarisation and hatred of the BJP and from the deficiencies of the current governance, the Congress has shown the third way. These five guarantees that have been pledged, they will show a new way," Ramesh said.
So, after 20 years, the Congress has gotten a new opportunity, the Congress leader said.
"The TMC and the BJP are two sides of the same coin, and a new coin is needed in West Bengal. It is necessary to get rid of the old coin with TMC and BJP on both sides," Ramesh said.
The Congress released its manifesto for the assembly elections promising, among others, free education for women up to post-graduation level and filling all vacant government posts within one year.
The Congress is fighting the elections alone. Elections to the 294-member West Bengal assembly will be held in two phases – on April 23 and April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.