CPM leaders to join the Congress programme to mark Nehru's 125th birth anniversary

KOLKATA: Apart from inviting its Bihar allies-JDU and RJD, Bengal Congress has invited several senior politicians including former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chattrejee, Teesta Setalvad, and Prof. Hosainur Rahman to a programme, organized to mark the 125th birth anniversary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on Saturday . PCC president Adhirir Chaudhury will also attend the programme . The invitee list includes the CPM leaders too.

Significantly, the CPM has allowed a ten member team from the party to attend the programme. The team will have its former MPs and state committee members. The decision has been taken by the party when there is a speculation of a probable alliance between Congress and CPM in 2016 assembly election Bengal.

The programme has been organised by PCC general secretary Prof Om Prakash Mishra. "We have invited all the secular parties barring BJP and TMC. Both the parties are symbol of intolerance here," said Prof Mishra.

Confirming their presence in the event, senior CPM leader and a former MP Sujan Chakraborty said, "We would definitely join them. We never had any doubt on the idea of secularism of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. We never raised a question on that. And we have earlier too spearheaded movement against the chit fund companies together."