'Suvendu will lose his deposit if he contests from Nandigram'

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP and president of party's youth wing, Abhishek Banerjee, urged people not to vote for a person who has played with the sentiments of the people of East Midnapore. He said Suvendu Adhikari's deposit will be forfeited if he contests from Nandigram.

Addressing a mammoth rally at Contai on Saturday, he said: "It is a shame that he (Suvendu Adhikari) had touched the feet of those who had vandalised the statue of Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar in May 2019."

Coming down heavily on Adhikari, he said: "Adhikari got annoyed after Trinamool Congress realised his dirty game plan. He took advantage of the magnanimity of Mamata Banerjee. He became hostile after Trinamool removed the post of the district observer. He was the observer for East Midnapore, Murshidabad, Malda and North Dinajpur. There are a total of 59 seats in these districts. Suvendu thought that if he could manage some seats in these districts, then he could join BJP later and make a claim for the post of Chief Minister. The moment Trinamool realised this, he was made insignificant. After his vested interest received a jolt, he crossed the floor and joined the BJP," Abhishek said.

Abhishek also claimed that once Suvendu realised that the party had understood his game plan, he decided to quit TMC. Quoting a letter written by Saradha accused Sudipto Sen to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM), he said: "Sen mentions that Adhikari had taken Rs 6 crore from him. On the eve of the day he left the city, Adhikari visited his office and took the money. He introduced one Rakhal to Sen. Rakhal is allegedly a close aide of Enamul, who has been arrested in connection with the cattle smuggling case," Abhishek said. The TMC MP claimed that at the appropriate time he would furnish more startling facts about Suvendu.

Criticising Adhikari for calling Trinamool a "private limited company," Abhishek said: "Even a child in Bengal knows that the Adhikari family had set up a sole proprietorship firm where there are two MPs, one minister and two municipality councilors. One, who lives in glasshouses, should not throw stones at others," he maintained.

Abhishek further added: "He has joined the party of Shyamaprasad Mookherjee who had criticised the Quit India movement of 1942. Matangini Hazra became a martyr, taking part in a procession in support of the movement. He has tarnished the image of Midnapore which has produced great sons like Vidyasagar, Khudiram Bose, Satish Samanta, Birendranath Sasmal, Sushil Dhara among others."

Abhishek reiterated that Trinamool would bag 250 plus seats in the Assembly elections. He urged the people to thwart BJP's attempts to divide Bengal. "BJP never works for people. It works for a small group of traders. They are against development," he maintained.

He said if any charge of corruption against him is proved, he "will end his life by hanging himself." He also added that people would drive out BJP and the traitors in the forthcoming Assembly elections.