Baruipur (WB), Oct 30 West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday attacked his predecessor Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, daring them to contest elections again and claiming that the TMC had lost its political relevance in the state and was now seeking refuge in the Congress and the CPI(M) for survival.
Adhikari said that Mamata Banerjee was now seeking political relevance by “bowing at the feet” of the Congress, which she had abandoned in 1998 to form the TMC.
Addressing a public meeting at Baruipur in South 24 Parganas district, he said, “There is nothing left for you (Mamata) in West Bengal. You are trying to find a political foothold there by hobnobbing with the Congress and the CPI(M). The same person who broke away from the Congress to form the Trinamool Congress is now falling at the feet of that very Congress.”
Referring to the INDIA bloc’s November 1 public meeting in New Delhi, Adhikari asked the TMC chief to go to Ramlila Maidan.
During much of its 15-year rule in West Bengal, Banerjee had repeatedly downplayed the Congress’s electoral and political relevance in the state, rejecting calls for an alliance and maintaining that the party was strong enough to take on the BJP on its own.
The TMC had also questioned Rahul Gandhi’s leadership credentials and his ability to lead the opposition INDIA bloc.
Claiming that the TMC had fractured into three political formations within 90 days of its defeat in the Assembly elections in May, Adhikari said the party had failed to withstand electoral setbacks.
He was apparently referring to the Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress, the Democratic Trinamool Congress led by rebel leader Ritabrata Banerjee and a separate group of MPs.
“In Odisha, the BJD lost but continues to exist. In Bihar, the RJD lost but is still there. But look at the TMC. Within 90 days of losing power, it has split into three parts. This is their reality,” he said.
The CM also challenged Mamata to face him in another electoral contest, referring to their 2021 and 2026 poll battle.
“If you have the courage, contest again. I have defeated you in Nandigram in 2021 and Bhabanipur in 2026. I will defeat you again,” he said.
Adhikari also issued a direct challenge to Abhishek Banerjee, the three-time Diamond Harbour MP, daring him to contest the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
“If you contest an election from Diamond Harbour again, I will defeat you. I will ensure that you lose by at least one vote more than the number of votes you have won by. You did not allow free and fair elections in Bengal. If you have the courage, contest in 2029,” he said.
Targeting the TMC MP over his influence in South 24 Parganas, Adhikari alleged that he had treated the district as his fiefdom and prevented panchayat elections from being held freely.
In an apparent reference to arrested former TMC minister and singer Indranil Sen, Adhikari issued a veiled warning to Mamata, referring to her musical performances with him.
“Those who have performed duets with him will also have to go behind bars,” he said, alluding to the former chief minister having sung with Sen.
Adhikari also hinted at further action against those accused of corruption during the previous regime, saying people should exercise patience.
“You may be wondering when the big thief will go. One must choose the right time for such action. I have shown patience and restraint throughout my political life. You must also exercise patience,” he said.
“The big thief will go. There is no reason to worry. One person has already gone to jail,” he added.
Mocking the TMC leadership, Adhikari claimed that Mamata and Abhishek were no longer being invited to public and religious events.
He claimed that during the previous regime, the ruling party was invited to around 400 Durga Puja celebrations while opposition leaders received invitations to only 20.
“This time, nobody has invited the aunt and nephew,” he said.
Adhikari also questioned Mamata’s participation in religious and cultural events, accusing her of taking positions that, according to him, had alienated Hindu voters.
“Who was the chief minister who led a march saying that the Ram temple would not be accepted? Why would people invite someone who describes Hinduism as a dirty religion? Why would they invite someone who calls the Maha Kumbh a ‘Mrityu Kumbh’?” he asked.
He also challenged Mamata to produce photographs of herself hoisting the national flag on Independence Day.
“You are very active on social media and make so many posts. Has anyone seen you hoist the national flag on August 15? Can anyone show me even one such photograph? You could have hoisted the flag at home and posted a picture,” he said.
On allegations of post-poll violence, Adhikari urged victims who had not yet filed police complaints to do so, promising action against those accused.
“As the police minister, it is my responsibility to ensure that these criminals are sent to jail,” he said.
He also promised to recover illegally occupied land and distribute it among the poor, particularly.
The chief minister reiterated his government’s resolve to shut down illegal cattle slaughterhouses, saying that no unauthorised facility would be allowed to operate.
He also attacked the CPI(M), saying, “I had commented in Kakdwip that the menace of cockroaches, bedbugs and the Marxists had increased in Baruipur. That is why I needed to hold a meeting here. With just four days’ notice, you have turned this meeting into a sea of humanity.”
Adhikari invoked the names of BJP leaders Debasish Dhar, Roopa Ganguly, Papiya Adhikari and Sarbari Mukherjee, saying the four were sufficient to take on what he described as the “tukde-tukde gang”.
He said, “If you see the Marxists, the cockroaches and the bedbugs, deal with them democratically by spraying (pesticides on) them.”
The CM asked BJP workers to organise religious gatherings, distribute copies of the Bhagavad Gita and plant Tulsi saplings.
(PTI News)
