Express News Service
KOLKATA: Retaliating BJP’s relentless attack calling him “Tolabaj Bhaipo” (extortionist nephew), TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday exposed a letter written by Sudipta Sen, the Saradha group promoter presently in jail, in a public rally in South 24 Parganas. Abhishek accused former Trinamool Congress strongman Suvendu Adhikari, who joined the BJP, of extorting Rs 6 crore from the chit fund agency.
Brandishing the two-page letter, the Diamond Harbour MP threw a challenge to Suvendu asking him to prove his allegation false. “You (Suvendu) do not have guts to utter my name. You talk in the passive voice. I am uttering your name and saying you are an extortionist. You not only took Rs 6 crore from Sudipta Sen, but also blackmailed him. In the letter, is clearly written then the day before he (Sen) went at large, you visited his office and took money from him,’’ alleged Abhishek.
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Bengal BJP had inducted Mamata’s once-trusted lieutenant Suvendu in the party last month eyeing 39 Assembly seats in Junglemahal. Since then, the saffron camp has been organising regular rallies and roadshows projecting Suvendu as a key tool to sharpen attack on the ruling party on “extortionist nephew” issue.
Suvendu’s speech in all the rallies since his defection is aimed to portray Abhishek’s image as an extortionist nephew. He also raised a slogan—Tolabaj Bhaipo Hatao, Bengla Bachao (reject extortionist nephew, save Bengal).
BJP’s high-command, including Union Home minister Amit Shah and national president JP Nadda, never missed opportunity to raise the issue whenever they visited Bengal and addressed rallies in the recent past.
Abhishek’s disclosure of Sen’s letter on Sunday is said to be an effort to blunt the attack lashed out buy Suvendu and other BJP functionaries. “You were also seen (in Narada sting operation) receiving money from a person using a towel as a shield and promised him to fix up an appointment with me. I should file a defamation case against you,’’ Abhishek hit out at the turncoat.
Sen, presently in Presidency jail in connection with the multi-crore scam, wrote the letter addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mamata on December 1 naming Suvendu and others.
