TMC isn’t anyone’s fiefdom, all bound by discipline: Abhishek
Times of India | 16 January 2025
123 Kolkata: Trinamool was not anyone's fiefdom and everyone was bound by party discipline, TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said on Wednesday. Like office conflicts between colleagues, Banerjee added, there could be differences of opinion in a "big party" but "this did not allow anyone to do whatever they wanted".
Speaking to reporters in Falta, South 24 Parganas, the Diamond Harbour MP said: "Internal rifts occur when a party becomes large-scale. Do such rifts not exist in BJP or CPM? There are conflicts in families as well. With lakhs of office-bearers at various levels and even 50,000 elected representatives at the panchayat level, it is normal to have differences."
"Do colleagues not have conflicts at their workplace? But this does not allow anyone to do anything they want. The party's disciplinary committee has always taken action, and there will be no exception in the coming days. The state brass is looking into it, and the chairperson (CM Mamata Banerjee) has given directives. No one who is guilty will be spared," he said.
Banerjee's comments came in the wake of Trinamool suspending former MP Santanu Sen and ex-MLA Arabul Islam. Internal conflicts are also suspected as the motive for two murders — that of a party functionary and a worker — in Malda.
On Sen working at Sebaashray, a health outreach programme launched by Banerjee in Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, the MP said: "If chairperson Mamata Banerjee has taken the decision, what observation shall I have here? Arabul Islam was suspended earlier and arrested under Trinamool govt... Santanu Sen is a doctor, and hence, if he wants to support a noble initiative personally, what should I say here? As the party national general secretary, I can say that we accept the chairperson's decision. It is not my concern what initiative he supports or which patients he looks after."
Emphasising the importance of discipline, Banerjee said: "We always maintain a zero-tolerance policy. See what action the party or administration takes after an incident happens... A booth-level party member, as well as I, the national general secretary, have to maintain the same discipline."
The neta added: "I want to give this message to all Trinamool workers today. People have elected us and, hence, we have to work for them. There are some who think no one is greater or more important than them and treat everyone else as insignificant. TMC's doors will be closed for them. We need to be humble and approach people with folded hands. Those who think they can take control of an area and run the party will face trouble. CPM made this mistake, so did BJP. We are the people's party."
Saying there was a difference between Trinamool and other parties, Banerjee said: "Police and administration will take required action against anyone who is involved in a crime. CM Banerjee has clarified her stance, saying that nobody involved will be spared. No govt can predict what will happen and act pre-emptively to stop it. What action the administration takes afterwards is important."