Aap Ki Adalat: Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Saturday said that he was associated with Naxalism when he was a student. He was replying to questions from India TV Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Rajat Sharma in the 'Aap Ki Adalat' show on India TV.
Chowdhury was asked "Did you have a history of being a Naxalite? Were you a rebel and dissenter from the very start?" In his response, the Congress leader said, "In the beginning, the Naxalite movement started in West Bengal. At that time, I was a student. I thought that this would be a way to alleviate the suffering and weaknesses of the country's poor. I wasn't very mature at that time. I had enthusiasm and anger within me. That's why I became associated with Naxalism."
Why did Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary become a Naxalite?
He further said, "I haven't committed murder, but I have been involved in looting firearms. I have also been in jail. I went to jail for the first time when I was 15 years old. On the day I was sent to jail, it was my sister's wedding day. I only studied up to the 9th grade in a government school."
"I am like a soldier. I fight for truth and justice. I have even taken a bullet to my chest, and when required, I have fired bullets as well. Several cases are still pending against me," he said. The Congress leader said that there is a spate of murder cases in Bengal. "If I have done something wrong, I should certainly face the consequences. I view jail as a university," he added. He said that there is a spate of murder cases in Bengal. "If I have done something wrong then I must be punished. I think of prison as a university," he added.
26 cases registered against Adhir Ranjan
When Rajat Sharma asked whether you have actually killed someone, in response, he said that there are 26 cases registered against him. "There are several cases registered involving murder charges. If I had actually killed someone, why would I tell you? If I had committed murder, I wouldn't be here. In politics, such allegations are made when you protest against the ruling party," he said.
"In the affidavits submitted before the Election Commission, there are 26 cases against me, out of which 90 per cent have been closed. Even now, if I feel the need, I will continue to protest. When I feel that some injustice is happening somewhere, I won't step back from it, even if it means facing physical harm, getting shot, or going to jail," he added.
