Rahul Gandhi slams CPI (M)

Kolkata, Sep 6 (ANI): Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused West Bengal's ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI (M) leadership of grabbing crores of rupees from central funds meant for the uplift of the poor and downtrodden.

Addressing a Youth Congress rally at the Shahid Mindar Maidan here, Gandhi said: "The UPA government is sending crores of rupees to the state under different schemes, but the fund is being siphoned off and going to the CPI (M) coffers."

Alleging that there were "two Bengals", one of the poor and the other of the privileged people of the CPI-M, Gandhi said: "CPI-M does not belong to the poor people of the state - the adivasis, the marginalised and the poor."

"The CPI-M runs a privileged network of its people and shares the benefits of the administration through its "mafia-type" set-up," he added.

He further said that there would be a change in Bengal in the next four to five months.

"Just as it did in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. There was a time when Bengal would think, and the rest of the country would do it," he added.

Gandhi will meet the party's student and youth wings at Bidhan Bhavan, the Congress headquarters in Kolkata. He will also meet with senior state Congress leaders.

Rahul Kolkata's visit assumes significance as the Congress is trying to come out of key ally Trinamool Congress's shadow ahead of next year's state assembly polls. (ANI)