Tapas Pal’s threat remarks: Mamata deeply saddened
2 July 2014 10:26 PM GMT
West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee is ‘deeply saddened’ by party member of Parliament Tapas Pal’s alleged remarks threatening to kill CPI(M) workers and have their women raped, party secretary general Partha Chatterjee said on Tuesday. ‘Such kind of comment is condemnable. Our party leader is deeply saddened beyond comprehension. The matter came to her notice yesterday (Monday). He has been cautioned and an explanation has been sought from him. The party does not support this kind of conduct,’ the West Bengal Education minister said during a press conference at the assembly premises.
Asked whether the administration would take action against the errant MP, he said: ‘I have informed you about the views of the party. The administration will speak for itself.’ On Opposition’s hue and cry over the issue and demand for stern action against Pal, Chatterjee said ‘The CPI(M) has no right to say so, given what they had done in the past. It is not that we have to follow the footsteps of what others had done,’ Chatterjee said referring to instances of senior CPI(M) leader Anisur Rahman’s derogatory comments against Banerjee at in 2012 and Banerjee being pulled by the hair and driven out from the Writers Building when Jyoti Basu was chief minister.
TMC on Monday demanded from the actor-turned MP an explanation in writing within 48 hours on why he made such remarks. Pal, a Bengali film actor, was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Krishnagar constituency in Nadia district twice on TMC ticket in 2009 and 2014. Meanwhile, Tapas Pal’s wife Nandini Pal on Tuesday apologised for her husband’s controversial comment and said there was another part of the story. ‘I apologise for his comment. Of course there is no question of supporting it. But yes I know there is another part of the story, which provoked him to do that. The entire incident had happened long back, what led to such a thing there is another part of the story,’ Nandini told reporters here.
‘On behalf of him I am saying sorry,’ said Nandini. The controversial comment had triggered an uproar and sparked condemnation by opposition parties with CPI-M demanding that the Lok Sabha Speaker take suo motu cognisance of Pal’s outburst and disqualify him. ‘The statements made by Mr Tapas Pal are utterly insensitive. The party does not in any way endorse what he said many weeks ago, which is being played out on TV channels,’ party spokesman Derek O Brien had said. The MP’s comment also drew condemnation from the National Commission for Women.
Asked whether the administration would take action against the errant MP, he said: ‘I have informed you about the views of the party. The administration will speak for itself.’ On Opposition’s hue and cry over the issue and demand for stern action against Pal, Chatterjee said ‘The CPI(M) has no right to say so, given what they had done in the past. It is not that we have to follow the footsteps of what others had done,’ Chatterjee said referring to instances of senior CPI(M) leader Anisur Rahman’s derogatory comments against Banerjee at in 2012 and Banerjee being pulled by the hair and driven out from the Writers Building when Jyoti Basu was chief minister.
TMC on Monday demanded from the actor-turned MP an explanation in writing within 48 hours on why he made such remarks. Pal, a Bengali film actor, was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Krishnagar constituency in Nadia district twice on TMC ticket in 2009 and 2014. Meanwhile, Tapas Pal’s wife Nandini Pal on Tuesday apologised for her husband’s controversial comment and said there was another part of the story. ‘I apologise for his comment. Of course there is no question of supporting it. But yes I know there is another part of the story, which provoked him to do that. The entire incident had happened long back, what led to such a thing there is another part of the story,’ Nandini told reporters here.
‘On behalf of him I am saying sorry,’ said Nandini. The controversial comment had triggered an uproar and sparked condemnation by opposition parties with CPI-M demanding that the Lok Sabha Speaker take suo motu cognisance of Pal’s outburst and disqualify him. ‘The statements made by Mr Tapas Pal are utterly insensitive. The party does not in any way endorse what he said many weeks ago, which is being played out on TV channels,’ party spokesman Derek O Brien had said. The MP’s comment also drew condemnation from the National Commission for Women.
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