Cong takes out rallies in West Bengal against "victimisation" of Rhea Chakraborty

Congress activists took out rallies in the metropolis on Saturday in protest against the alleged victimisation of actor Rhea Chakraborty, days after its Bengal unit chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury decribed her arrest in a drugs case as "ludicrous".

Congress activists took out rallies in the metropolis on Saturday in protest against the alleged victimisation of actor Rhea Chakraborty, days after its Bengal unit chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury decribed her arrest in a drugs case as "ludicrous". Over 300 party activists marched from PCC headquarters to Wellington crossing here, shouting slogans opposing the "vilification campaign" against Rhea in the name of investigation, and held placards that read "we will not stop till she gets justice".

Congress MLA Manoj Chakraborty wondered why she was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), months after boyfriend Sushant Singh Rajput's death. "Was it orchestrated by the Centre with an eye on the Bihar polls," he said. He claimed that Rhea was being harassed and framed, which was a part of vendetta politics. "Pradesh Congress Committee will not accept such a revengeful act against a woman from Bengal, or against any woman in the country," the MLA told PTI.

On Wednesday, Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had said Rajput was an Indian actor, but the "BJP turned him into a Bihari actor" only to score electoral brownie points. "Rhea Chakroborty has been indicted not for abetment of suicide or murder or any economic offences; she has been arrested under NDPS, ludicrous," he said.

Similar rallies were taken out by the party in West Midnapore and West Burdwan districts. Parties cutting across the political divide in West Bengal on Thursday evoked Bengali sub-nationalism, asserting that the "vilification campaign" against Rhea "proved" Bengalis are a soft target of the BJP, which is looking to cash in on this narrative ahead of the Bihar Assembly polls.

After three days of interrogation, the NCB on Tuesday arrested Rhea, 28, in a drugs case linked to Rajput's death, following which she was sent to judicial custody till September 22 by a local court..

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