Tomorrow’s Suvendu Adhikari rally is his personal event, the BJP has said
Calcutta:
The ruling Trinamool Congress of Bengal today brought its battle against former leader Suvendu Adhikari to his homeland, with a padayatra and a mass demonstration in Kanthi, the headquarters of the East Midnapore district, which is where the Adhikari family lives.
Neither Adhikari’s father, Sisir, nor his brother, Dibyendu, both Trinamool MPs, were at the rally. A second brother, Soumendu, president of a local civic body, was also absent.
Sisir Adhikari and Dibyendu Adhikari said they had not received invitations to the rally. However, Akhil Giri, a Trinamool MLA who is also a known rival to Suvendu Adhikari, said that invitations had indeed been sent.
The Adhikaris also noted that none of the posters and banners at the rally had photographs of Sisir (the Kanthi MP) or Dibyendu (the Tamluk MP).
The next round of this growing dispute will likely be dismissed by Suvendu Adhikari, who will hold a padayatra and rally of his own in Kanthi tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Senior Deputy Saugata Roy and Minister Firhad Hakim launched searing attacks on Suvendu Adhikari at the rally.
“Our rally today has shown that there is no alternative to Mamata Banerjee. No matter who goes and leaves. Suvendu is a traitor … he joined the party of Nathuram Godse, Gandhi’s assassin. The revolutionary land of Midnapore won.” I don’t forgive him for joining a communal party, “Roy said.
“Let Prime Minister Modi come … Let Amit Shah come … Let the BJP leaders jump like Hanuman, nothing will happen to Trinamool,” he declared.
Mr. Hakim also hit Mr. Adhikari, saying, “You fought for the farmers … you fought the left … so why did you touch Amit Shah’s feet that day? East Midnapore is not the fiefdom of ( your family. “
Locals said the turnout for the Trinamool rally was impressive, so much so that they thought Mamata Banerjee was present. However, factionalism within the party reared its ugly head after Roy and Hakim, the two keynote speakers, said their pieces and left.
Supporters of Tarun Jana, a bloc-level leader who had apparently organized the crowds, were angered after Hakim failed to mention him while thanking the organizers of the rally.
Jana’s supporters verbally attacked Akhil Giri, who had given Hakim the list of people to thank. Mr. Giri had omitted Tarun Jana’s name and said that the omission was accidental.
All eyes are now on Suvendu Adhikari and his padayatra-cum- rally, which is expected to start at 1pm in Kolkata. Mukul Roy from the BJP has said that the public event is Adhikari’s own company and that the party is not involved.
Associates of Adhikari, who is seen to play a key role in the Nandigram movement that paved the way for Mamata Banerjee to power in 2011, reportedly told the BJP that they can “break” the Trinamool in three months.
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