Congress will speak its mind on Bengal affairs: Ramesh

In the continuing war of words between Congress and Trinamool Congress, the two ruling allies in West Bengal, Union Rural Development minister Jairam Ramesh on Friday defended his comment that Congress had not taken a VRS from the state and said it would continue to speak its mind on the state's affairs.

"Congress is a political party and not an NGO. We have not taken (political) sanyas,"  Ramesh said at a panchayati raj conference amid cheers from party workers who thronged the venue, Netaji Indoor Stadium, in large numbers.

"We have been in political power at the Centre and in some states. The Congress is the only party whose flag flies in all villages of the country. We are in the opposition in some states. In Tamil Nadu, we have been in the opposition for 40 years, but our party flag flies high there," he said.

Ramesh said Congress was (with Trinamool Congress) at the Centre as well as in West Bengal. "We are aware of the Lakshman Rekha. We will not cross the Lakshman Rekha. But the Congress would not take unsolicited advice from anyone," he said.