The Congress, which bagged the largest number of seats after the ruling AIADMK in the just-concluded Assembly election, on Tuesday said it would boycott the swearing-in of the Mamata Banerjee-led government on May 27 and questioned the rationale for the proposed “lavish” event.
“We will not attend the swearing-in ceremony of Mamata Banerjee on Friday,” State Congress chief Adhir Chowdhury told PTI.
On why the party has taken such a decision, Chowdhury said, “There is no meaning in attending the programme when our partymen are attacked by Trinamool Congress workers in post-poll violence.”
He said the party was also planning a demonstration at Esplanade in central Kolkata on Friday when Banerjee would take oath as Chief Minister.
He also questioned the need to spend crores for the swearing-in ceremony of the new government and said it was in sharp contrast to the severe financial crisis faced by the State.
“West Bengal is the highest debt-ridden state in the country... and when the State is heading towards financial bankruptcy, does it look proper to organise such celebration blocking the entire Red Road?” Chowdhury told reporters.