TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee takes dynastic politics jab at BJP national leaders

Trinamool Youth Congress president and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday took jabs at top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including Union defence minister Rajnath Singh, on the issue of dynastic politics at an election rally in his Lok Sabha constituency.

“BJP leaders are regularly accusing Mamata Banerjee and me of indulging in dynastic politics. What about them? BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya’s son is a legislator in Madhya Pradesh. So are the sons of Union defence minister Rajnath Singh and BJP leader Mukul Roy. Suvendu Adhikari was an MLA and minister in this state, his father and elder brother are Lok Sabha members and his younger brother headed a civic body. These people have no right to talk about dynastic politics,” Banerjee said at a rally in Kultali in South 24 Parganas district.

Going a step further, the young MP from Diamond Harbour said, “I challenge the BJP. If their leaders declare today that only one member from their families will remain in politics I will leave politics in 24 hours. Only Mamata Banerjee will be into politics from my family. Why doesn’t the BJP introduce a bill in the Parliament on this issue?”

Reacting to Banerjee’s statement, the BJP said it was a diversionary tactic on the eve of the assembly polls due in March-April.

“Abhishek Banerjee tried to divert people’s attention from raging issues, such as high unemployment rate and lack of industrial growth in Bengal. Who says Singh and Vijayvargiya’s sons cannot be legislators? As far as Roy and Adhikari are concerned, both were in the TMC when members of their families were given electoral nomination,” said Samik Bhattacharya, chief spokesperson of the BJP’s Bengal unit.

On Sunday, Banerjee also singled out Adhikari for calling him an “extortionist” at several rallies held after the former TMC leader joined the BJP on December 19 in presence of Union home minister Amit Shah.

“I have with me today a copy of the letter that Sudipta Sen, owner of the Saradha chit fund company, wrote to the chief metropolitan magistrate in Kolkata. Sen alleged in the letter that he gave ₹6 crore to Adhikari. Sen also wrote that he gave money to Adhikari the night before he went underground. Once we come to power after the polls, I will settle the scores,” said Banerjee.

“If Banerjee has any proof against Adhikari he should give it to the Central Bureau of Investigation which is probing the Saradha scam. The CBI is not a caged parrot anymore,” said Bhattacharya.