New Delhi: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday blamed union home minister Amit Shah for an attack on youth Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders from the state.
She alleged that they were attacked and arrested in Tripura during the weekend on instructions from Shah.
“Tripura chief minister Biplab Deb does not have so much courage. I strongly believe that he followed the directions of Amit Shah and the union home ministry,” Banerjee said while talking to media during her visit to youth TMC leaders Jaya Dutta and Sudip Raha at the state-run SSKM Hospital in Kolkata in the morning.
“Life of my nephew and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who rushed to Tripura on Sunday, is also in danger. “Abhishek’s car was attacked last week,” she said while referring to the August 2 incident.
“TMC youth leaders who were touring Tripura as part of the party’s plans to prepare for assembly polls in 2023, has posed a serious challenge to the BJP, this is why BJP goons attacked us now,” she said adding that shots were fired and a TMC office was vandalised in Dharmanagar, the biggest Tripura town after Agartala.
On Sunday, the three leaders, along with 11 others, were arrested for violating pandemic restrictions by travelling after 7pm when the state begins its 10-hour curfew every day. They were also charged under non-bailable sections of the Indian Penal Code. Abhishek Banerjee rushed to Tripura along with Bengal minister Bratya Basu, Rajya Sabha member Dola Sen and TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh.
However, when the arrested leaders were produced in court by authorities, the judge dropped the criminal charges and granted bail to all 14. Banerjee returned to Kolkata with Bhattacharya, Raha and Dutta on Sunday night.
Mamata Banerjee blames Amit Shah for attack on TMC leaders in Tripura
