Congress leader Adhir Ranjan apologises to TMC’s Derek O’Brien for calling him 'foreigner'

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, issued a public apology to Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien on January 26 for referring to him as a "foreigner." The apology comes in the midst of a heated political exchange between the two leaders.

The controversy erupted on January 25 when Adhir Ranjan, speaking to reporters in Siliguri, West Bengal, remarked, "Derek O’Brien is a foreigner; he knows a lot of things. Ask him." This statement followed accusations from O'Brien, who blamed Chowdhury for the breakdown of seat-sharing talks in West Bengal with the INDIA bloc. O'Brien further alleged that Chowdhury was acting on behalf of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In response to the apology, Chowdhury took to social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), stating, "I conveyed my regrets to MR DEREK O'BRIEN for a word inadvertently uttered by me on him as a FOREIGNER."

The animosity between the two leaders escalated when O'Brien claimed, "Three reasons for the alliance not working in Bengal – Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury," during a press conference in Delhi. O'Brien accused Chowdhury of echoing the BJP's sentiments and failing to raise issues related to Bengal's central fund deprivation.

O'Brien asserted that despite criticism from various quarters, only two voices, the BJP and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, spoke against the INDIA bloc. He further alleged that Chowdhury's words were being dictated by higher-ups in Delhi, insinuating a political influence.