Mumbai, Oct 19 The Maharashtra Congress has alleged that its former MLA Rahul Bondre was pressured to join the ruling BJP and was being targeted with police notices concerning his educational institution after deciding against switching sides.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi personally called Bondre, assured him of support and advised him to fight without fear, following which he decided against joining the BJP, the Opposition party stated in a post on X on Sunday.
The Congress said it stood firmly behind Bondre, the former MLA from Chikhli in Buldhana district of Vidarbha region, and would continue its fight against what it described as injustice, repression and politics of pressure.
It also posted a copy of a recent police notice to Bondre about his educational institution in Chikhli.
The BJP had been issuing notices to Bondre because he had chosen to continue his political fight, the Congress charged.
“Rahul Bondre will neither be intimidated nor bow down to pressure, and will not stop his struggle,” it stressed.
Earlier, Bondre dropped his plan to join the BJP on September 22 following a telephonic conversation with Rahul Gandhi, saying he would continue to work for the grand old party and to fight alongside the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha despite the difficulties he had faced.
Congress leaders Vijay Wadettiwar and Yashomati Thakur then alleged that Bondre was being pressured and that cases had been filed against him.
(PTI News)
