Calling BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari a “liar”, albeit without naming him, Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee challenged the state’s Leader of Opposition to prove his claim that she had “called home minister Shah four times to revoke the de-recognition of Trinamul Congress’s national party status” or else physically atone for it by rubbing his nose to the ground.
“From this press conference, I challenge the person who made this claim to prove his remarks. If he can, I will resign from the post of chief minister. But if his claims are proven false, will the BJP leader resign and rub his nose to the ground?” Banerjee retorted from Nabanna, the state secretariat, to Adhikari’s statements he made from a public platform a day before.
“Our party’s name was and will remain the All India Trinamul Congress. If BJP opposes it, they can go to the Election Commission. If they have the EC with them, we have the support of the people. This name wasn’t given to us out of pity, we fought for it and we have MPs and MLAs to prove our strength,” the Trinamul supremo asserted.
In a letter shot to Adhikari and copy-marked to home minister Shah, the Trinamul Congress demanded immediate withdrawal of the statement, or else face legal consequences. Adhikari responded to the warning by a counter-threat stating he would expose the chief minister and come up with a “befitting reply” within 24 hours.
Speaking at a public meeting in Singur on Tuesday, Adhikari had said: “She called him four times and fell at his feet over the phone calls. She asked if her national party status could be kept till 2024. Mr Amit Shah said no, that status could not be retained. You have not received votes and our Election Commission is not like your Sourav Das (State Election Commissioner). It is bound by laws and you have gone beyond the law. That is why you are no longer all India, you are restricted within the territory of West Bengal.”
“I heard news being played on media channels wherein an opposition leader, who has recently sprouted from earth, claimed that following the de-recognition of AITC as a national party, I had supposedly called up the union home Minister four times. I was appalled by these remarks that were being run non-stop on media channels,” Banerjee said on Wednesday.
"Shouldn’t the press verify these claims, instead of blatantly running whatever BJP leaders are claiming? The media, too, will get defamation notices if they don’t cross-check before running such propaganda. These lies are being spread at BJP’s public meeting, and are being run on all channels. Did anyone bother to even ask me or my office about the claims? One person lies and claims that I called someone four times after Trinamul Congress lost the national party status. This is then published in print media and is broadcast across news organizations non-stop. After I send my clarification, they will put out a one-line reply. So, in reality, a false claim will get more limelight, and the truth will get a one-line mention,” an exasperated Banerjee said, urging the media to not fall for what she called “BJP’s jumla”.
The chief minister reiterated her demand for the resignation of Shah on grounds of “misusing his Constitutional post and demolishing the federal structure of the country through attempts to topple a democratically-elected government”.
The Trinamul Congress letter sent to Adhikari and signed by party MP Derek O’Brien was titled “False, Incorrect and Vexatious claims made by you knowing them to be untrue”. “We call upon you to immediately withdraw such a false statement failing which we shall be constrained to initiate appropriate legal proceedings against you and Shri Amit Shah, who needlessly shall be drawn into a serious litigation for such falsehood of yours,” the letter read.
Minutes after the party tweeted the letter, came Adhikari’s reply on the same platform. “Yeh Darr Mujhe Achha Laga!” (I like this fear in you), his tweet read and added “For making the call to Delhi, you used a landline. I’d expose you in due time. Wait for my befitting reply tomorrow.”
In a separate tweet coming a few hours later, Adhikari drew the Election Commission’s attention to Banerjee’s remarks: “A CM who's taken Oath of Office bearing allegiance to the Constitution of India; is politically attacking ECI (Autonomous Constitutional Authority), at a Press Conference inside State Secretariat with the National Flag & Emblem in the background. @ECISVEEP please take cognizance.”
“BJP leaders are doing whatever they wish because they are in power. However, power is temporary. The chair may come and go, but our Constitution and democracy will continue forever. The Constitution can be amended, but it can never be bulldozed,” the chief minister, meanwhile, alleged.
“BJP will not win the 2024 elections. They had claimed ‘200 Paar’ in Bengal. In the upcoming Parliamentary Elections, they won’t even get 200 seats across India. Will they use ED, CBI, BSF, CRPF and other such agencies to manipulate elections? We don’t even know what is going on with the Electronic Voting Machines,” she added.
Asked about the state of opposition in the country, Banerjee said: “The Opposition parties in our country are together. We believe that silence is golden, hence we are quiet now. But before the polls, like a tornado, we will come together as every opposition party shares good rapport with each other. I am in constant touch with opposition leaders.”
