In his first public meeting at Nandigram since joining BJP, Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday dared the ruling TMC, to which he formerly belonged, to organise a big public meeting in Purbo Medinipur area.

He said BJP will hold a public meeting at Nandigram on January 8 which will see the gathering of one lakh people and dared Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee to hold a rally as big as it.

"We don't back out after announcing a programme like some others," he said at an apolitical meeting after a road show at Nandigram, the epicentre of the anti-farmland acquisition movement in West Bengal in 2007.

Adhikari was alluding to the proposed January 7 meeting in the area by Banerjee which got postponed on Monday as a top district TMC leader tested coronavirus positive.

"They (TMC) are saying it (meeting) will take place later on. If they organise the meeting later, we will again hold another meeting in the same area afterwards," he said.

Slamming TMC, he said "The office of the bhaipo (nephew) is prodding some people to tear posters and attack our men here. He will get a befitting reply."

Adhikari, who did not take any name, was apparently referring to TMC youth wing president and party MP Abhishek Banerjee, who is a nephew of Mamata Banerjee.

He alleged that some people who were coming to his road show were attacked on the way by a party.

"We will not take such attacks silently though we believe in the philosophy of peace", he said.