The tension within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal appears to continue brewing with its Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Banerjee openly criticising the conduct of some party leaders, including their failure to defend the party during the RG Kar protests.
Serampore MP and TMC’s disciplinary committee member Kalyan Banerjee is considered to be quite close to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and resides near her on Harish Chatterjee Street in Kolkata’s Kalighat. He was with Mamata during the formation of the TMC and fought for her in court during the Singur-Nandigram movement. Of late, he has been a chief campaigner for the party’s old guard.
“I am here because Didi (Mamata) is here. Otherwise, I will quit (the party). After seeing the conduct and behaviour of Didi’s ministers, I no longer want to stay in the party,” he said.
The controversy began after state Education Minister Bratya Basu removed leaders like Maidul Islam and Sonali Banerjee from the TMC’s State Education Cell. The leaders later claimed they were removed because they were close to Mamata’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee.
Speaking about the controversy, Kalyan said, “They are not doing the right thing… They should restrain from such comments, otherwise Abhishek’s position will not be good in the party… They should understand that whatever decision was taken was done so under the direction of Mamata Banerjee.”
The MP also said that barring himself and TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, party leaders did not issue any statement supporting the administration in the wake of the RG Kar rape and murder issue.
Incidentally, prominent TMC leaders Santanu Sen and Sukhendu Shekhar Roy repeatedly criticised the government’s decisions. Kalyan said, “During that time, Kunal and I came out and supported the administration and the party’s stand but many leaders remained mum.”
Supporting Kalyan’s statement, Kunal Ghosh said, “I agree with what Kalyan da said. I don’t want to name those leaders because that will create an undesirable situation.”
Meanwhile, TMC leader and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay said, “If he sees my behaviour and he does not want to be in the party, then I will leave the party. I won’t stay if my behaviour feels bad or if someone else is affected. I consider myself as a lower-level leader and never tried to distance myself from the soil.”
Former Congress MP Adhir Chowdhury criticised the party and said, “Everyone is there because Mamata Banerjee is still there. No one has the guts to say anything to Didi. Everybody is doing corruption with Didi’s picture in front. It is our good faith that till now worship of Mamata Banerjee has not started at TMC leaders’ houses.”
CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty also flayed Kalyan Banerjee’s remarks, saying, “If Kalyan thinks this is the situation, why is he not complaining to Mamata Banerjee? Because he knows that the next day, he will be removed. Mamata Banerjee knows everything.”