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By Suryagni Roy, Anirban Sinha Roy: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday sent a notice to BJP leader and West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari for making “false, incorrect and vexatious” claims about Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Adhikari, according to TMC, said that Mamata had called Union Home Minister Amit Shah requesting her party’s national status be retained.
The Trinamool Congress was stripped of its national party status by the Election Commission on April 10. With the national status gone, the party’s election symbol will no longer be visible among the first few names on the EVM or on ballot papers and it will no longer be able to call itself ‘All India Trinamool Congress’.
According to the TMC notice sent to Suvendu Adhikari, while addressing a public meeting in Singur on Tuesday, the BJP leader said that TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee called Home Minister Amit Shah and pleaded with him to so that her party’s national status was retained till 2024.
Suvendu Adhikari, on his part, said he would giving a “befitting reply” on Thursday.
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According to the TMC notice, Adikari said that Amit Shah did not entertain Mamata’s request. “Suvendu Adhikari said that the Union Home Minister told the West Bengal Chief Minister that her party’s national status cannot be retained and that the reach of her party is now ‘restricted within the territories of West Bengal’,” the notice says.
The notice issued by the TMC said Mamata Banerjee clarified that no such conversation took place between her and Amit Shah. It accused Suvendu Adhikari of defaming the party and misleading people by giving false statements.
“It is evident that you have caused to make such incorrect and motivated statement without making any enquiry to verify its authenticity including from Sri Amit Shah…,” read the notice.
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While addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Mamata Banerjee clarified that she did not speak to Amit Shah and said that she would resign from the CM’s post if Suvendu Adhikari could prove that such a conversation took place between her and the Union Home Minister.
The TMC has asked Suvendu Adhikari to withdraw his “false statements”, failing which the party said it would take legal action against him and Amit Shah “who needlessly shall be drawn into a serious litigation for such falsehood of yours”.
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Soon after Mamata Banerjee rubbished Suvendu Adhikari’s claims, the BJP leader challenged the West Bengal Chief Minister and said he would give a befitting reply on Thursday.
On Wednesday evening, right after Mamata Banerjee refuted his claims, Suvendu Adhikari tweeted, “Yeh Darr Mujhe Achha Laga ! Shameful that you used the same demeaning words “Kimbhut Kimakar” in my reference as you had earlier used in regards to Hon’ble PM. For making the call to Delhi, you used a landline. I’d expose you in due time. Wait for my befitting reply tomorrow.”
Adhikari also shared a video of Mamata Banerjee and tweeted, “A CM who’s taken Oath of Office bearing allegiance to the Constitution of India; is politically attacking ECI (Autonomous Constitutional Authority), at a Press Conference inside State Secretariat with the National Flag & Emblem in the background.” He also tagged the Election Commission in the post.
The video posted by Adhikari shows Mamata Banerjee saying that the performance of a political party is reviewed after every 10 years. She said that the ECI had last reviewed the performance of political parties in 2016 and the next review was due in 2026. The chairperson of the Trinamool Congress said that her party should be allowed to keep its national party status at least till 2024.
She further said that her party had fought elections in Goa, Meghalaya and Tripura and despite that, the Election Commision had stripped the TMC of national party status. “Our party was known as All India Trinamool Congress and would continue to be known with the same name,” said Mamata Banerjee.
Politics has intensified in West Bengal between the ruling TMC and the Opposition BJP as the panchayat polls are around the corner.
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