Suvendu took advantage of Mamata's magnanimity, robbed people: Abhishek

Kolkata: Taking a dig at BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, Trinamool Youth Congress president and party's MP Abhishek Banerjee said he took advantage of Mamata Banerjee's magnanimity, robbed people and was now posing as a 'sadhu' (saint) to cover up his misdeeds.

Banerjee was addressing a mammoth rally at Kultali in South 24-Parganas on Sunday afternoon. This is for the first time when Banerjee criticised Adhikari so severely.

"Had Mamata Banerjee listened to me before, his (Adhikari's) place would have been behind the bars," Banerjee said. He asked whether the defector joined BJP because 'bhaipo' stopped him from 'tolabaji' (extorting people).

Banerjee challenged the BJP leaders and told them not to make rhetoric and dared them to take his name while waging attack against him. "Recently, I had sent him (Adhikari) a legal notice for making malicious statement against me without any proof," he said.

Banerjee said nobody had ever seen him taking money from anyone. "But everybody has seen him (Adhikari) taking money in Narada sting videos on television," he added. Banerjee challenged Adhikari to come before the public and prove the charges brought against him. "If he can prove the charges, be rest assured I will commit suicide," Banerjee said.

While addressing the rally, Banerjee quoted an extract from Sudipto Sen's letter written to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Bankshall Court. In the letter, Sen had accused Suvendu Adhikari of blackmailing him.

"Subhendu Adhikari took Rs 6 crore. I started building a 22 storeyed building in his area and needed cooperation from Contai Municipality. His younger brother Soumendu was the Chairman of the Contai Municipality (as I know or I was told about the Chairman and Subhendu introduced a man named Rakhal and my vice-president Somnath Dutta. I had to go to Contai several times and I had to pay huge cash apart from a 50 lakh draft in the name of CO/ Kontai Municipality. But they blackmailed me. Even the night before I escaped, Suvendu came to my office

and took the money," Sen wrote.

Coming down heavily on BJP, he said the leaders have often referred to the Bengal government as "Pishi— Bhaipor Sarkar" ( a government of aunt and nephew). Citing examples, he said: "Mulul Roy is the vice-president of BJP and his son Subhrangshu Roy is an MLA. Kailash Vijayvargiya's son Akash is an MLA while Rajnath Singh's son is also an MLA. There are two MPs from the Adhikari family while there was a minister, chairman of a municipality and a councillor from the same family. After this, they talk about dynastic rule. In Mamata Banerjee's family, except me no one is involved in politics," he said.

Banerjee said he would request Prime Minister Modi to bring a bill in the Parliament to ensure that only one person from the family of politicians would be allowed to join politics.

He urged the people to put up a united fight against the BJP leaders, who are trying to instigate religious sentiments to win election. "Work together to ensure that TMC gets all the 31 seats in the district," he added.

Without naming Sovan Chatterjee, he said the former had said in a meeting that he had helped Banerjee to win the election.

"When he (Chatterjee) was there, I won the election by 70,000 votes and without him I won by 3.5 lakh votes. The more these people talk and take part in the election, the advantage will go in favour of Trinamool Congress," Banerjee claimed.