Kolkata: Leader of the Opposition and BJP legislator Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of issuing him a “veiled threat” and called it a “sinister conspiracy” to “threaten” his safety and security.
Adhikari, who took to his X handle, however, said such “intimidation tactics” would not “bear any fruit”.
Adhikari, along with three other BJP MLAs, was slapped with a month-long suspension from the House on Monday for creating a ruckus and tearing off business papers before throwing them at Speaker Biman Banerjee.
Adhikari and other BJP MLAs had then accused the Banerjee government of working against the interests of the majority of people in the state and resorting to appeasement politics.
On Tuesday, while replying to the debate on the Governor’s Address, Banerjee, without naming Adhikari, said: “Before you say anything against someone, you should remember the public will teach you a lesson if you utter nonsense, we won’t have to do anything.
” … You are saying such indecent words about a religion, saying slanderous things, spreading propaganda, if they give the call for an agitation, will you be able to hold on to yourself?” Banerjee had wondered.
Posting an 18-second clip of this portion of Banerjee’s speech on his social media handle, Adhikari wrote: “The veiled threat that you made yesterday (Tuesday) on the floor of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, is nothing but a sinister conspiracy to threaten my safety and security.”
“While you were making nasty insinuations regarding me, without naming me, everyone could comprehend that I was the target of your diatribe,
“If you think that you can scare me by saying that, “You have been saying such obscene words, slanderous words and spreading propaganda regarding ‘one’ (particular) religion, will you be able to get hold of yourself and handle yourself, if they decide to revolt one day”, then let me assure you that, you are living in a fool’s paradise,” the Nandigram MLA wrote in the strongly-worded post.
The BJP leader claimed that the Mamata Banerjee government has filed 73 FIRs against him till date. “I had to approach the Courts 74 times seeking permission for holding events that your Police had tried to obstruct me from attending.
“Right from December 2020, I have been attacked many times by your party goons & hooligans.
“You can’t scare me. I will keep on fighting democratically till you are dethroned. My fight against your dynastic & appeasement politics and corrupt regime would continue,” he added.
Banerjee on Tuesday had also told the state Assembly that she would write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the BJP MLAs and their leader Suvendu Adhikari accusing her of having links with “terrorists and fundamentalist forces”.
Banerjee dismissed the allegations as “baseless” and said if they could provide any shred of evidence she would quit the post of chief minister.
“It is better to die than having such a link,” she said, counter-alleging that the opposition had forged links with the Muslim League to win votes during elections.
