Kolkata: Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee explained four reasons that had led him to call Union Home minister Amit Shah the biggest 'Pappu'.
He was addressing party leaders at a special meeting at the Netaji Indoor stadium on Thursday afternoon.
"I called Amit Shah the biggest 'pappu' because there are reasons," he announced at the public meeting.
"Look at Delhi's crime rate. Kolkata has the lowest crime rate, your own agency said. But the Delhi Police is under the Home Ministry," Abhishek claimed.
Recently, Kolkata topped the list of cities with the least number of cognisable offences per lakh of its population, making the metropolis the safest city of India in 2021, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report.
"In Bengal, the only woman Chief Minister in the country Mamata Banerjee looks after the Home (Police) department while the Union Home ministry looks after the law and order situation in Delhi. He has not said anything on this subject."
Secondly, he should disown his son Jay Shah immediately as he had refused to hold the national flag during a cricket match in Dubai. "He talks about Ghar Ghar Tiranga but cannot manage his own son."
Thirdly, the ED and the CBI have been used to give shelter and protection to those who had been seen taking money on television.
Fourthly, look at his constant efforts to scare Trinamool Congress after failing to fight the party politically. "Trinamool Congress has two flowers while the BJP has one. Try to scare us and we will become stronger," he maintained.
He urged his party leaders to go to the masses and make them aware of the biggest 'pappu'.
Coming down heavily on those who criticise allotment of Rs 60,000 to the Puja organisers taking the total to Rs 264 crore, Abhishek said why no question was raised when Rs 3,000 crore was spent to set up the Statue of Unity in Gujarat and Rs 8,000 crore spent to buy aircraft for the Prime Minister.
He said there will be free and fair Panchayat election. "No muscle flexing will be tolerated and the election will be held peacefully. We will ensure poll defeat for the BJP democratically."
The national general secretary said there was no lobby in Trinamool Congress. "Mamata Banerjee is number 1 in the party and there are no number 2 or 3 or 4. We are all party workers. One should have a transparent image to get a ticket for the Panchayat election." Criticising Dilip Ghosh for his statement that "Trinamool Congress is the party of slum dwellers," he said: "Dilip babu has rightly said so. We are the party of poor people and they have ousted the BJP in 2021 Assembly election."
Abhishek urged the leaders to remain united and fight against all the onslaught undertaken by the BJP.