Kolkata, July 10 -- Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday launched a sharp attack on the BJP, accusing it of targeting Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders and workers, and declaring that the ruling party would have to "kill" her if it wanted to silence her or finish the TMC. In a video message, Banerjee broke her silence on the recent rebellions within the party and alleged harassment of TMC leaders, saying the BJP had left no stone unturned in its attempts to intimidate the party. "To silence me, you would have to kill me. Yes, you didn't spare any effort on that," Banerjee said.
The TMC chief claimed that several party leaders had faced attacks and humiliation, naming senior leaders including Mahua Moitra, Abhishek Banerjee and Kalyan Banerjee. "Whom haven't you assaulted? You attacked Mahua, Abhishek, Kalyan. You attacked my home," she said. The remarks come at a time when TMC is grappling with its biggest internal challenge in years. A dissident camp led by Ritabrata Banerjee has claimed the backing of around 60 MLAs. Banerjee further alleged that many of her party colleagues were being subjected to inhuman treatment while in custody. "Many of my colleagues are languishing in lock-ups, forced to sleep on the bare floor. Some are being paraded with ropes around their waists and shackles on their legs; some have had their heads shaved; others have had vile substances thrown at them. It is shameful even to mention it," she said.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.