SMS 'Threat' To Trinamool Lawmaker, Mamata Banerjee Says Raise It In Parliament

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee put out a flurry of tweets this afternoon, urging party MP Sudip Bandopadhyay to raise in Parliament the issue of "threats" he had received via a series of text messages. Ms Banerjee said she felt the threats were politically motivated and examples of 'intolerance'.

The Trinamool Congress chief was at the seaside town of Digha when she heard about the texts and held an impromptu press conference to express her outrage.
 

What kind of vendetta is this? Sudip da is getting death threats for being vocal in Parliament: Mamata Banerjee

AITC (@AITCofficial) December 22, 2015

 

The leader of the Trinamool Parliamentary Party is getting life threats in Delhi. This is unacceptable: Mamata Banerjee

AITC (@AITCofficial) December 22, 2015

 

If they do not want Opposition to speak, let them impose Emergency. I have asked Sudip Da to raise the issue in Lok Sabha: Mamata Banerjee

AITC (@AITCofficial) December 22, 2015

 

Every party has the right to speak on any issue. Voices cannot be muzzled in a democracy: Mamata Banerjee

AITC (@AITCofficial) December 22, 2015

 

Political leaders, artists and even people from cultural field are being silenced. Intolerance is rising every day: Mamata Banerjee

AITC (@AITCofficial) December 22, 2015

 

My life is full of struggles. I have no fear of death. Targeting the leader of Trinamool Parliamentary Party in LS in unacceptable: MB

AITC (@AITCofficial) December 22, 2015

Sudip Bandopadhyay forwarded the series of texts he had received to NDTV. Most of the texts are unprintable. They are in Bengali and the one that "threatens" him directly is a takeoff from a popular dialogue delivered by Trinamool MP and actor Mithun Chakraborty.

"Marbo delhi te, lash porbe kalighatey," the tweet says, date and time of receipt unknown. Translation: "We will kill you in Delhi. Your body will be dumped at Kalighat." Kalighat, an area in south Kolkata named after a revered Kali temple, is also where Mamata Banerjee lives.

In Delhi, Mr Bandyopadhyay claimed he has been receiving threat messages and his party chief said she felt this was being done as he has been vocal on several issues in Parliament, including 'intolerance'.

"I have raised the issue in Parliament. In those messages, I have been threatened that I will be killed," Mr Bandyopadhyay told Press Trust of India. He said he has requested the Union Home Minister to take this issue seriously and make suitable arrangements.