Domjur, Apr 8 (UNI) West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Thursday lashed out at former TMC leader and State Minister Rajib Banerjee, who switched to BJP.
Addressing a public rally here, Ms Banerjee called Rajib Banerjee as 'Gaddar Mir Jafar' and apologised to the people of Domjur for letting Rajib Banerjee contest from the constituency in the previous assembly election.
“I am sorry that I allowed Gaddar Mir Zafar (Rajib Banerjee) to file nomination in the last election from this constituency. When he was Irrigation Minister I had received a complaint so I removed him from that post and made him Forest Minister,” the chief minister said.
Two times MLA from Domjur, Rajib Banerjee will be seeking re-election for the third time, only through a different party.
The TMC supremo also slammed the election commission. Without paying any seriousness to the Election Commission's notice for seeking votes on communal grounds, Ms Banerjee said, "it hardly matters even if 10 show cause notices are issued against me. I am telling everyone to vote unitedly, there will be no division."
The TMC supremo challenged EC notice and said she will continue to ask people to vote unitedly against BJP.
“How many complaints have been registered against those people who called Nandigram's Muslims Pakistanis? Aren't they ashamed? They can't do anything against me. I am with Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians as well as tribals,” the chief minister commented.
The Election Commission on Wednesday issued a notice to chief minister for “openly demanding votes on communal grounds”.
The Trinamool Congress supremo has been directed to explain her remarks within 48 hours of receipt of the notice, failing which the commission would take a decision without further reference to her.
The notice is based on a complaint registered by a BJP delegation which was led by Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.
The poll body has issued the notice in reference to Ms Banerjee’s speech in Hooghly on April 3, ahead of the third phase of the West Bengal assembly election. She has been accused of appealing to Muslim voters.
UNI BM GK 2006