Could Have Dragged Mamata Banerjee By Hair, Thrown Her Out: BJP Leader

Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress has condemned BJP state president Dilip Ghosh for allegedly using "abusive and goonda-like" language against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while announcing a three-day protest against the Centre's demonetisation of high-value notes.

"We have seen the abusive and goonda-like comments of Dilip Ghosh against our party supremo. We are not taking it lightly. We strongly condemn the language used by him," Trinamool Congress secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said.

Asserting that the chief minister would continue to hold protest in different parts of the country over people's miseries owing to demonetisation, Mr Chatterjee said, "No one can stop Mamata Banerjee from going around the country on the issue till the Centre rolls back its decision."

"The words used by (Dilip) Ghosh goes on to show that he is mentally imbalanced. He has even threatened to kill our party people," he alleged.

"He is trying to be in the news by making such dangerous comments. He should not try to blacken the culture of Bengal by using such filthy language," Mr Chatterjee said.

Mr Chatterjee, who is also the state's Parliamentary Affairs and Education minister, announced a state-wide protest from December 14 to December 16 against demonetisation.

"TMC workers, supporters and the suffering public will join protest-march and meetings to be held in every block of the state on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday," Mr Chatterjee said.

Speaking at a meeting of the party's youth wing held at West Midnapore district's Jhargram yesterday, Mr Ghosh allegedly said Mamata Banerjee has "lost her mind" after the demonetisation drive and that was why she recently visited Delhi and Patna.

"That's why she (Mamata Banerjee) is visiting Delhi and Patna. And failing to achieve anything, she is sitting in Nabanna (state secretariat). We had thought that she would ultimately jump in the Ganga... this person (Mamata Banerjee) has lost her mind. The state's people have realised their mistake of bringing in change in West Bengal," Mr Ghosh alleged.

On December 2, at another rally in Uluberia in Howrah district, Mr Ghosh had made belligerent remarks about Ms Banerjee going to Delhi and holding a demonstration at Jantar Mantar against demonetisation.

"Our Chief Minister had gone to Delhi. She has made a lot of song and dance there. Tell me, we have our government there. If we had wanted, couldn't we have held her by the hair and thrown her out?"

In a statement earlier in the day, Trinamool Congress alleged that after failing to fight Ms Banerjee on her stand on demonetisation, the BJP has started issuing "dangerous personal threats to the Bengal CM."

"The BJP cannot fight Mamata Banerjee on policy, good governance and her principled stand on demonetisation on behalf of millions who are affected," Trinamool Congress said in a statement.

"BJP is desperate to silence the voice of the opposition. The Bengal BJP president spews deeply dangerous, threatening, abusive and completely false personal statements against her. A new low in politics," it said.

(with inputs from agencies)