KOLKATA: Abhishek Banerjee, national general secretary of Trinamool Congress and party MP from Diamond Harbour, on Friday evening said that he had “no grievance against Kalyan Banerjee” following the senior TMC leader's controversial remarks on Thursday.
Abhishek spoke to reporters outside his Kalighat residence after attending a party meeting at the Harish Chatterjee Street residence of party supremo and former chief minister Mamata Banerjee this afternoon.
“Kalyan Banerjee has brought me up since my childhood and made me a human being. He is a senior leader in our party. He has rights to say something rude against me. But I have no grievance against him. Don’t make it complicated,” Abhishek said.
Kalyan, one of the few still standing by Mamata Banerjee, on Thursday asked her to choose between him and her nephew, accusing Abhishek of arrogance and of being the sole reason for the electoral rout and the party’s destruction. Trinamool secured only 80 out of 294 assembly constituencies in the elections.
Political observers felt that Abhishek has strategically managed the situation, particularly at a time when the party is grappling with an unprecedented internal crisis after it suffered a crushing defeat to BJP in recent assembly elections in Bengal.
Kalyan made the comments on the day when Abhishek appeared before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) under West Bengal Police probing the alleged signature forgery case in the state legislative assembly after having skipped three summons.
Earlier on Thursday, Calcutta High Court had granted him three weeks’ immunity from coercive action but told him to appear before the CID for questioning before 6 pm.
The Sreerampur MP, who had even a day ago defended Mamata and attacked the BJP, turned his guns on Abhishek after being shunted out of a case in which he was supposed to have represented him.
The unceremonious shove came in the form of a text message to his son shortly after midnight, Kalyan said on Thursday. “This morning, my son informed me that around 12.30am, instructions had come that Mr Ayan Bhattacharjee will appear in the case, not me,” Kalyan said. Bhattacharjee is significantly junior to him.
“Very good. I have not appeared.... It is better that one person handles the matter. If you think I can’t do it, take it away. But don’t treat me like a dustbin.”
Continuing his tirade Kalyan on Thursday said: “I will not appear for Abhishek Banerjee in any case in coming days because I do not like his arrogant attitude.... I am senior to him in politics as well. He cannot do this.”
Kalyan said: “He needs to understand that we lost the elections because of him. He also needs to understand that the party is facing this crisis only because of him. People shouting slogans against us saying ‘thief’. I faced this at the Kolkata airport because of him.”
“I cannot tolerate disrespect. He has destroyed our party. I know that Abhishek and Didi are related by blood. But I have served Didi for 40 years. I will urge Didi: If you continue to depend on Abhishek Banerjee, then leave me. But if you part ways with Abhishek Banerjee, then I am with you.”