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TMC says posters torn in Tripura ahead of Abhishek Banerjee's visit, attacks BJP
Calling it an act of “absolute hooliganism”, the state TMC unit said several posters featuring TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and her nephew, Abhishek, were torn.
The Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) engaged in a war of words after banners of the former were found torn in Tripura ahead of party MP Abhishek Banerjee and some other leaders’ visit.
Calling it an act of “absolute hooliganism”, the state TMC unit said several posters featuring TMC supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew, who is the national general secretary of the party, were torn.
Several such banners from the airport in Agartala to Gorkha Basti were damaged on Sunday night and the party would register its protest on the issue, TMC leader Ashish Lal Singh was quoted as saying by News18, adding the party will lodge a protest over the matter.
However, BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharjyo said the party did not consider the TMC a “political competitor”. “They can lodge an FIR if they like. They are coming here to do political tourism but we are just not bothered with them,” he said.
“When it comes to BJP, ruthlessness and disrespect for democracy seem to be running the show. You can keep trying but you cannot erase us from the hearts of the people of Tripura! Shameful attempt,” the TMC wrote on its official Twitter handle.
Besides Abhishek, two Bengal ministers -- Bratyo Basu and Moloy Ghatak -- and trade union leader Ritabrata Banerjee will be in the hill state where the TMC is making a renewed bid to challenge the ruling BJP. In a bid to expand its footprints following a thumping victory in the Bengal assembly election, the Mamata-led party is now focussing on Tripura which has its state polls in 2023.
Last week, seven senior Congress leaders, including former minister Prakash Chandra Das, former MLA Subal Bhowmik, All India Congress Committee (AICC) member Panna Deb and party leader Md. Idris Miah joined the TMC. The party has also renewed its contract with Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), the company launched by election strategist Prashant Kishor, till the crucial 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The latest visit comes days after I-PAC members were allegedly confined to a hotel by the Tripura police.
