Says party trying to help BJP workers return homeTMC to spread footprint across India: Didi nephew

Shubhadeep Choudhury

Tribune News Service

Kolkata, June 7

TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday said his party aimed to spread its footprint in every nook and corner of the country and a plan to this effect would be ready in a month’s time.

Addressing a press meet here, Banerjee, nephew of TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, also said that his party would take the BJP head-on in every state where it gets to gain a foothold. Banerjee, meanwhile, said party leaders were reaching out to the BJP to facilitate the return of saffron party workers, who had fled their homes fearing attack by TMC workers post-elections.

The Diamond Harbour MP and nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, widely perceived to be her political successor, claimed that post-poll violence stopped after Mamata took over as the Chief Minister.

“There were some incidents of violence till the Election Commission was at the helm of affairs in Bengal,” Abhishek said, claiming that after Mamata took charge as the Chief Minister, there was even a “single incident” the targeting BJP supporters.

“You must have seen that our leaders are reaching out to their BJP counterparts, saying if there is anything stopping your people from entering villages, write to us and we will make sure that irrespective of the person’s political affiliation, identity and inclination, we will help them go to their native places safely,” Abhishek said. Chandrima Bhattacharya, member of the Mamata-led Cabinet, recently responded to a tweet by BJP ideologue and former Meghalaya Governor Tathagata Roy about BJP supporters from the state on the run. Bhattacharya appealed to Roy to make available the details of these people so that they could be brought back. Tathagata Roy promised to send her some names while he also urged her to use the state police to locate more such people and help them return home.

Referring to the repeated tweets posted by Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar alleging rampant post-poll violence in the state, Banerjee said the Governor should submit the “details to the state government in writing”. — Agencies