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‘I trust easily’: Mamata Banerjee's takes jibe at Adhikaris
The West Bengal chief minister said she will get allegations of corruption investigated once she is voted to power. She blamed “the family” for ruling the district like “zamindars” by taking full control of the area.
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee said on Sunday she was not able to recognise the “true face” of the “influential” Adhikari family, without naming it, after her aide since the birth of her party and her adversary Suvendu Adhikari’s father, Sisir Adhikari, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Sisir Adhikari, the TMC’s eldest Lok Sabha member, joined the BJP in the presence of Union home minister Amit Shah earlier in the day. He delivered a speech before Shah addressed a crowd.
Banerjee, who addressed two rallies in East Midnapore district on Sunday, did not hide her displeasure, also accusing the Adhikaris of swindling funds. “I am foolish as a donkey. I trust people easily. Now I hear that the gaddars (traitors) made ₹5,000 crore. The money is kept in a cooperative bank,” Banerjee said in a veiled attack on Adhikari and his family while addressing a rally at Contai.
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Suvendu Adhikari, who vacated the Nandigram assembly seat which he is now contesting against the chief minister, joined the BJP in Shah’s presence on December 19 last year. His youngest brother Soumendu, who headed the TMC-run Contai municipality, switched camps a few days later. The only TMC leader left in the family is Sisir Adhikari’s eldest son Dibyendu, who is the West Bengal ruling party’s Lok Sabha member from Tamluk.
His father squarely accused the TMC of “pushing” him into the BJP. “The party pushed me into the BJP. I will do what Suvendu asks me to. He will win the Nandigram seat with record margin and the TMC will be wiped out in all 16 assembly seats in East Midnapore district. I had a word with Shah. I told him we will work with the BJP,” said Sisir Adhikari.
The West Bengal chief minister said she will get allegations of corruption investigated once she is voted to power. She blamed “the family” for ruling the district like “zamindars” by taking full control of the area.
At his rally in Bankura district earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted Banerjee. “I came here for the last time before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Didi (Banerjee) blocked all roads to the rally ground. Vendors were told not to supply chairs. But on the day of polling, you ensured our victory,” said Modi. The BJP won two Lok Sabha seats in the Bankura district. Elections to the 294-member state assembly will be held in eight phases starting from March 27 with the final round of voting taking place on April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 2.
