Upping the ante on the phone call controversy, Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari dared chief minister Mamata Banerjee to move court against him for claiming that the latter had called Union home minister Amit Shah four times following the de-recognition of Trinamul Congress’s national party status. Adhikari maintained that only through judicial intervention would he be able to unravel the truth since the TMC supremo is protected under privacy clauses by the law of the land.
Adhikari also issued a counter threat to move court against Banerjee for the latter’s claim that Shah had instructed leaders to instigate unrest in the state at party’s closed-door meetings during the home minister’s visit to the state last week.
Trinamul’s response to Adhikari came from Abhishek Banerjee who promised to “surely drag him to court and make him pay for his public statement”.
The BJP leader’s statements came a day after Banerjee challenged Adhikari to prove his claim or else “resign and rub his nose to the ground” while simultaneously declaring that she would step down from her chair if the claim was found to be true. The Trinamul Congress had also written a letter to Adhikari asking him to immediately withdraw his statement or face legal action.
“The chief minister enjoys high-security cover and since she used landlines to make those calls, those call records cannot be brought to the public domain. These matters are outside the domain of the RTI Act and are guided under specific clauses of the Indian Telegraph Act. However, the court can intervene and direct the authorities concerned to place those details before the judges. I dare Mamata Banerjee to move court against me. I will then add BSNL and TRAI as parties to the case who can then place on record how many calls were made from two landlines of the chief minister to the home minister between 3 March and 12 April. Let the milk be separated from water,” Adhikari said.
“I am happy to accept the chief minister’s challenge. I dare her to accept mine,” he declared while making it clear that he wouldn’t be the one to make the first move.
Issuing his counter threat, Adhikari said: “If she drags me to court then I would also move court against the chief minister for using her office to make unfounded statements. She claimed that home minister Shah had directed state BJP leaders to provoke riots. Let her also prove that in court.”
Adhikari further alleged that Banerjee “distorted” Shah’s theory on the collapse of the state government by 2025. “Unlike our chief minister who uses her government office to make political statements, the home minister’s statement was made from a political meeting in Birbhum. He asked the people to double last time’s tally from 18 and set a target of 35 seats to bring back Narendra Modi to power. He wanted the people of Birbhum to contribute to that. In the present context of rampant corruption in state machinery, the involvement of the ruling party in it, their jailed leaders, as well as the economic bankruptcy of the state, the home minister said that if the 35 seat target is achieved, then that may warrant a state election in 2025.”
Adding salt to the wound, the BJP leader hit back at the Trinamul where it hurt most. “The Election Commission has already declared its list of all India parties. Your party will be a state party no matter what name you choose for yourself. You will not be called to national all-party meets, your symbols would be below those of the national parties on EVMs and your agents will have to sit in the second row behind national party agents,” Adhikari announced.
Calling Mamata Banerjee the “biggest beneficiary of the Saradha scam”, Adhikari said: “For the first two elections since 2011, she had an open playing field. The Opposition was set as per her wishes. She is facing real opposition for the first time,” and added: “Her body language showed that the chief minister is nervous and she is suffering from a fear psychosis”.
