‘Will quit if Centre brings in a law against dynasty politics’. (File) Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday hit back at BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari for labelling him “tolabaaj bhaipo [extortionist nephew]” — Banerjee is the nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee — and called his former TMC colleague a “ghuskhor [bribe-taker]”.
At a public meeting in Kultali in South 24 Parganas districts, the Diamond Harbour MP displayed a copy of a letter written by Saradha scam accused Sudipta Sen to the CBI in which he claimed to have paid Adhikari Rs 6-crore bribe.
“Sudipta Sen is writing in his letter that he paid Rs 6 crore to Suvendu Adhikari. He is also writing that even the night before he fled Suvendu came to him and took money. So who took a bribe? So who is an extortionist? Who has betrayed the trust of the people? I am giving proof here. If you [Suvendu] have proof against me then show it now. If you can prove the allegations you have made against me then I will publicly hang myself here. Do you have the guts to come before the public and challenge me? No, you have joined the BJP to escape a CBI probe,” said Banerjee.
The MP said he would quit politics if the Centre enacted a law allowing only one member of a family in politics. “From Kailash Vijayvargiya to Suvendu Adhikari, Mukul Roy to Rajnath Singh, there are other members of their families who occupy important posts in the BJP. If you ensure that there will be only one family member in active politics, there will be only Mamata Banerjee from our family in the TMC…” he added.
Coming down heavily on BJP leader Sovan Chatterjee, the TMC MP said, “After waking up from hibernation after three years, he is now making a false claim that he was instrumental in my victory in Diamond Harbour in 2014…”
In response to Banerjee’s comments on dynasty politics, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said, “Abhishek Banerjee never raised such demands earlier and is making such statements now as the party is faced with imminent defeat in the Assembly elections.”