Complaint against CPM leader for calling Mamata 'an item with a criminal bent of mind'

Controversial CPM leader Gautam Deb is in a soup after calling West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee a ‘maal’ (item) during a public meet.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee | PTI
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee | PTI

KOLKATA: Controversial CPM leader Gautam Deb is in a soup after calling West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee a ‘maal’ (item) during a public meet.

While objectification of women largely goes unpunished, practising the same with the feisty Chief Minister has cost Gautam Deb dearly. 

The former housing minister in the Left Front government had to issue a written apology on Tuesday after top CPM leaders, including former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, Left leader in the Assembly Surya Kanta Mishra and politburo member Biman Bose expressed strong displeasure over the personal attacks on Mamata Banerjee. 

Left Front allies CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc issued written criticism of Gautam Deb.

In the letter, Deb wrote that during a public meet called by four Left organisations in Kolkata on Sunday, he had made personal attacks against Mamata Banerjee and education minister Partha Chatterjee for which he seeks an apology. 

During the speech, Deb had claimed that during her 25-day iconic hunger strike against Tata Nano plant in Singur in 2006, Mamata Banerjee used to regularly eat and drink backstage while Partha Chatterjee used to run the show on stage. He went on to call Mamata a ‘maal’ with a ‘criminal bent of mind’.

Despite the apology, Trinamool Congress has taken the comments very offensively. A police complaint has been booked against Gautam Deb by a Trinamool Congress worker. Also, a Calcutta High Court lawyer, Ramaprasad Sarkar, has sent a legal notice to the former Left Front minister seeking an apology written to Mamata Banerjee. He has threatened to take legal action if no answer is received within three days.

The former Left Front minister was infamous for his threats and personal attacks against Trinamool Congress leaders, including Mamata Banerjee, just before the 2011 Assembly elections which saw the downfall of the 34-year Left Front regime in the State.

Meanhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee  on Tuesday dubbed the BJP as a party which “understands only the language of riots,” while accusing it of using social media to “instigate people and spread rumours.”

While making the allegations ahead of the RSS plans to celebrate Ram Navami in a big way on Wednesday, the CM also appealed to the people not to be misled and instigated by rumours. She came down heavily on the BJP alleging it was using the social media to “instigate people and spread lies.” “Let our unity win. Always stay united and never pay heed to any kind of rumour, do not be scared of threats. Maintain peace and harmony,” she said.

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