Mamata Banerjee said that calling a former leader of her party who switched to the BJP is not a crime.
Reflexes
- Calling a former Trinamool leader is not a crime, said Mamata Banerjee
- The leaked audio had put the party to shame last week.
- The audio leak coincided with the first phase of the state elections
Calcutta:
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Tuesday that calling a former leader of her party who has gone over to the BJP is not a crime. The people to blame are the ones who broke the faith and leaked it. The conversation was with Pralay Pal, whose leaked audio had embarrassed the party, who initially denied it, but later said that such an interaction did, in fact, take place.
“Yes, I called this BJP leader in Nandigram. I got the reply that someone wants to talk to me. So I spoke to him after I got his number. I told him to stay well, to take care of his health. What is my crime? “Banerjee said on Tuesday, shortly before the campaign ended in Nandigram, where elections will be held on April 1.
“As a constituency candidate, I can seek the help of any voter, I can call anyone. There is nothing wrong with that, it is not a crime,” said the head of the ruling Trinamool Congress. “But if someone makes the conversation go viral, that is a crime. Action should be taken against the person who made my conversation viral, not against me.”
The audio clip of the conversation was leaked on Saturday, as the first phase of the 30-seat vote was taking place.
“You should help us win Nandigram. Look, I know you have some complaints, but that’s mainly due to the Adhikaris who never allowed me to go to Nandigram or East Midnapore,” Ms. Banerjee is heard saying to Mr. Pal, a Suvendu supporter. Adhikari, who switched to BJP along with him. “I’ll take care of everything from now on,” he is heard assuring him.
“Didi, you called me and I’m honored. But I can’t betray the Adhikaris as they supported me through thick and thin,” Pal replied. Later, he told reporters that he had rejected Ms. Banerjee’s request to return to Trinamool. “Now I work for BJP and I cannot betray them,” he said.
The BJP had pounced on the audio clip as evidence that the chief minister was using her official position to influence the elections.
A delegation led by the party’s Bengal officer, Kailash Vijayvargia, filed a complaint with the Election Commission and handed over the audio tape.
Ms Banerjee said Tuesday that this was not the first time she reached out to people who crossed party lines and even members of the opposition seeking her help.
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