West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday threw her weight behind her party’s Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal a day after the Suri court’s direction to the district police to start a case against him under non-bailable charges. Giving a clean chit to controversial Mr Mondal, Ms Banerjee lambasted the Opposition as well as the media for making a mountain of a molehill.
“Why is there such a hue and cry over Mondal’s statement? He has already clarified in a letter that he did not mean to say what he said. And still the Opposition and media are constantly hounding him,” she said. Ms Banerjee was making a statement on the floor of the House during the one-day extended budget session of the Assembly.
Mr Mondal had in a speech at an election rally on July 17 openly exhorted his party men to hurl bombs at the police and burn down the houses of the Independent candidates. Only hours after he made the inflammatory speech, the house of an Independent candidate was set ablaze allegedly by Trinamul Congress supporters. Later, the houses of several Independent candidates who were in reality rebel Trinamul Congress activists were also attacked.
On July 21, the house of Independent candidate Hriday Ghosh was attacked and his father Sagarchandra Ghosh was shot at in Parui area. Sagarchandra Ghosh later succumbed to his injuries.
Taking serious note of the development, the state election commission directed the district administration to initiate action against him. The district police, however, did not seem to be taking quick action.
The Suri court, however, on Friday asked the police to start a case under three non-bailable sections. Therefore, people were surprised at Ms Banerjee’s defence of Mr Mondal. “I have never spared anyone in my party, from Munna to Shambhunath Kow. Anyone who did any wrong I sent them to jail,” Ms Banerjee said.