Congress leader P Chidambaram faced a major protest in Kolkata on Wednesday when he visited the Calcutta high court to appear as an advocate in a legal matter.
A group of lawyers, who reportedly belonged to the Congress cell at the court, shouted slogans against the Rajya Sabha MP when he was on his way to leave the court, showed him black robes and flags and called him a sympathiser and agent (‘dalaal’) of the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government. They also blamed the former Union minister for the Congress’ poor state of affairs in the state.
A PTI report said the senior advocate was representing agro-processing firm Keventer. The protesting lawyers asked how could Chidambaram represent a company against whom West Bengal Congress chief Adhir Chowdhury had filed a case. Chowdhury had challenged the TMC government's decision to sell shares of Metro Dairy to the private company.
One of the agitators, Kaustav Bagchi, a lawyer, slammed Chidambaram for appearing for an entity whose purchase of shares was being objected to by the Congress’ state unit president. "Mr Chidambaram is a CWC (Congress Working Committee) member and a very important leader," Bagchi said, adding he had led the protest "as a Congress worker" and not as a lawyer and that party workers would stage similar protests against any leader who acted against the interests of Congress in Bengal.
{{/usCountry}}One of the agitators, Kaustav Bagchi, a lawyer, slammed Chidambaram for appearing for an entity whose purchase of shares was being objected to by the Congress’ state unit president. "Mr Chidambaram is a CWC (Congress Working Committee) member and a very important leader," Bagchi said, adding he had led the protest "as a Congress worker" and not as a lawyer and that party workers would stage similar protests against any leader who acted against the interests of Congress in Bengal.
{{/usCountry}}Later, Chowdhury told the news agency the protest was a "natural" reaction from some Congress supporters. "I have heard that some Congress supporters present at the Calcutta high court protested. I believe this was their natural reaction," Chowdhury, who was in Berhampore, was quoted as saying in the report.
When asked about Chidambaram appearing in the case, Chowdhury said that in a professional world one had the right to choose his or her options. "It's a professional world. It depends on the person ... nobody can dictate to him or her," he added.
(With agency inputs)