Opp parties losing the battle of perception : Adhir

Adhir Chowdhury, the leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha Wednesday conceded that the opposition parties in the country are losing the "battle of perception" as they are being branded as anti-national and corrupt by the BJP government at the Centre.

He criticised BJP for trying to silence the liberal voices in the country and called for greater unity among the Congress and Left forces both inside the state assembly and outside.

It is imperative for Congress and the Left parties to keep aside their ideological differences and fight together against the onslaught of TMC in the state and BJP in the country, he said.

"It is true that we (opposition parties) are slowly losing the battle of perception against BJP. They (BJP) are creating a narrative according to their own political interests in which opposition leaders and parties, who have fought for this country and its development, are branded anti-national and corrupt," Chowdhury said addressing a felicitation ceremony organised by the Congress legislative party West Bengal assembly.

"We have never witnessed such a suffocating atmosphere. Whoever does not agree with the government is either branded corrupt or anti national. There is an attempt to silence the liberal voices in the country," he added.