Anubrata Mondal, the Birbhum district president of the Trinamul Congress, on Thursday said he had wanted to remove Anarul Hossain, who was arrested in connection with the Bogtui massacre, as the party’s Rampurhat 1 block president, but desisted from doing so at the request of deputy Speaker Asish Banerjee.

Banerjee, who is also the Trinamul MLA of Rampurhat, had apparently written to Mondal, requesting that Hossain be allowed to continue in the post till panchayat polls got over in 2023 and the purported letter reached the media on Thursday morning.

During a news conference, Mondal checked the letter that reads: “Dear friend, I would earnestly request you to kindly consider the name of Anarul Hossain for not changing the post of president upto ensuing panchayat election.”

The letter on a plain paper was dated June 10, 2021.

“Yes it is Asish Banerjee’s letter.... I don’t know how the letter reached the media, but it’s genuine,” Mondal said.

“I had gone to Rampurhat to remove Hossain from his post because of several complaints from people and dissatisfaction with the Assembly results. Then, Asish Banerjee sent this letter to me,” said Mondal.

“Asish Banerjee is a senior person in the party and he requested me in writing and hence, I did not remove Hossain,” added the Birbhum district Trinamul chief.

Multiple Trinamul insiders said Mondal’s comment on Hossain bore clear signs of discomfort in the party over the arrest of the party’s former Rampurhat I block president. The CBI has interrogated Hossain on multiple occasions in connection with the Bogtui massacre.

“We know about the letter... But the question is, how did the letter reach the media?” asked a Trinamul insider.

“And it is also surprising that Keshto-da (as Mondal is called fondly by his supporters) is holding Asish-da responsible for Hossain’s continuation,” the source added.

Banerjee, when contacted later in the day, admitted that he had written the letter.

“I wrote the letter as many local leaders did not want Hossain to be changed... I won the Assembly elections and the result was very good and there was no need to change him. I requested (Mondal) to consider him till panchayat polls, paying heed to the wish of party workers,” said Banerjee.

“I have been in politics for the past 52 years and an MLA for 21 years and please find out whether I had taken a cup of tea from others or I collected chanda (subscription) from others…or I ask anyone to send me two bags of rice…” said Banerjee.

When chief minister Mamata Banerjee had visited Bogtui on March 24, she instructed police to arrest Hossain as he hadn’t allegedly informed the law enforcers on time about the arson at the village.