Abhishek Banerjee sends legal notice to Amit Shah for 'defamatory' remarks

Kolkata: Abhishek Banerjee, president, All India Trinamool Youth Congress and party's MP has sent a legal notice to BJP national president Amit Shah for his alleged "malicious and defamatory" statements at the Kolkata rally, asking him to "express unconditional apology" within 72 hours.

Shah, who addressed a rally in Kolkata on Saturday, had accused Abhishek of corruption.

"The Centre has given Rs 3.59 lakh crore to the state but the amount did not reach the grassroots and ended up with "bhatija" (Abhishek Banerjee) and syndicates," Shah had said at the gathering.

Abhishek has demanded that Shah should issue an unconditional apology within 72 hours from receiving the notice failing which both civil and criminal cases would be filed against him without any further notice.

In the public gathering, Shah had said: "After coming to power, Mamata didi has started endorsing scams like Narada, Sarada, syndicate and her nephew's corrupt practices and syndicate's corruption."

Again, Shah accused the Chief Minister and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee of being involved in various scams and illegal syndicates. Shah also accused the Chief Minister and Abhishek of siphoning a sum of Rs 3,59,000 crore which was disbursed by the Prime Minister for the residents of the state.

In the legal notice, Abhishek's lawyer Sanjay Basu maintains: "…that from the aforesaid it is abundantly clear that your malicious, false and defamatory statements have also been unequivocally understood by the media to be directed against my client. It is also abundantly clear that by your acts and conduct you have authorized and actively encouraged the publication of such malicious, false and defamatory statements against my client. Your speech and the subsequent publications reporting to your speech have severely hampered my client's reputation and goodwill."

The letter further read that Abhishek Banerjee vehemently denies all allegations and imputations made by Shah should be proved. Abhishek also denied the allegation of his involvement with any syndicate and with any scam. He also denied the allegation of his involvement with Rs 3,59,000 crore or any other sum purportedly allotted by the Centre to Bengal.

It appeared, according to the letter that such statements were made in the public rally to sensationalise and instigate the general public into believing that Abhishek is involved in such wrongdoings by the consistent use of the word "bhatija" and to deliberately and tactically bring him to disrepute.