Kolkata, July 9 -- The war of words between the rival factions of the Trinamool Congress intensified, with allegations of "betrayal" taking centre stage. Rebel faction leader Ritabrata Banerjee referred to a 91-page letter written by TMC senior leader and MLA Kunal Ghosh during his imprisonment in the Saradha chit fund case, alleging it marked the beginning of attempts to split the party.
Addressing a Press conference, Ritabrata, without naming Kunal, claimed the letter addressed to the Prime Minister, the Union Home minister and the CBI Director contained allegations against then Chief Mamata Banerjee and was sufficient to "bring down the party". He said the letter would be sent to Mamata Banerjee within 15 days and urged her to read it.
Rejecting the allegations, TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh described the document as his "famous letter" written during a difficult phase.
He said he had expressed his anger and disappointment with the party at the time but had never left it, adding that he continued to contribute to the party for membership even during that period.
Accusing Ritabrata of changing political affiliations, Kunal said the latter had moved from the CPI(M) to the TMC and was now surviving on the BJP's support.
He added that if Ritabrata wished to send the letter to Mamata Banerjee, he was free to do so, saying "our leader and I" would deal with the matter and no outsider needed to interfere.
Meanwhile, the rivalry has also spilt over to the observance of the July 21 Martyrs' Day programme. After Kolkata Police rejected applications from both factions to hold the event at Dharmatala, the rebel camp met the Director General of Police Siddh Nath Gupta on Wednesday seeking permission to organise its programme at the Gandhi statue, while the Mamata-loyalist faction is likely to move court over the issue.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.