123 Kolkata: Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday defended his stance on the issue of artists' boycotts, saying, "As far as I know, Mamata Banerjee, she does not believe in boycotts or violence."
Speaking to reporters, Banerjee said, "Those who protested have every right to do so. Some believe they were boycotted because they were not invited to certain programmes. However, it is the prerogative of the organising committee to decide whom they wish to invite to their events. This should not be misinterpreted as a boycott."
"Those making such statements have at some point criticised Mamata Banerjee themselves. If she believed in boycotts, they would not have been able to return to the party. If Mamata Banerjee were vindictive, how would media outlets critical of Trinamool still receive govt advertisements? We do not subscribe to boycott politics. Any decision made by the chairperson will be respected," he added.
Party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, whose remarks have differed from Banerjee's on this matter, later told reporters, "Banerjee is my senior leader. However, I stand by what I said. People have the right to protest. In cases of heinous incidents like RG Kar, they certainly should. But our statements were directed at the few who, under the guise of protests, abused, denigrated and insulted the party, govt and its workers. Party leaders have chosen not to invite such individuals to programmes they organise."