Kolkata, July 15 (IANS) Trinamool Congress MLA Madan Mitra on Wednesday blamed MP Abhishek Banerjee’s “Hitlerian attitude” for quitting the Mamata Banerjee-led faction and joining her rival, West Bengal Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee, even as the former Chief Minister’s loyalists accused him of changing sides on the “invitation” of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Speaking exclusively to IANS, Mitra said: “Reason behind that, it was not possible for me to continue with Mamata Banerjee because everything was getting suffocated because of the Hitlerian attitude of Abhishek Banerjee.”

“We are old people of Trinamool Congress, we are old… and the people here, I have not left the party, I have left all the posts of Trinamool Congress, and now I am very much with Trinamool Congress,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra criticised Mitra: saying, “It’s not a surprise because yesterday his wife and sons were summoned by the ED. So, he has gone on the summons of the ED.”

“He (Mitra) has gone on the invitation of the ED. So, we should understand that the person who was abusing the Ritabrata gang day before yesterday, today he is going there and sitting next to Ritabrata. This has been done on the special invitation of the ED. So, we wish him good luck, good health. May you have a lovely time working under the Ritabrata gang,” she remarked while addressing reporters.

Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee said: “MPs and MLAs can do whatever they feel like…people of West Bengal and the workers of the Trinamool Congress are with Mamata Banerjee.”

Taking a dig at Mitra, he said: “People can go where they are safe and at peace… where there will be no pressure of the police, CBI and ED.”

Echoing a similar view as Moitra, he said: “This picture is prevalent across India; if the BJP wants to bring in someone, they send the ED and the CBI. Maybe that happened here as well.”

Earlier in the day, Mitra expressed gratitude towards Mamata Banerjee despite switching camps, saying she had stood by party workers for a long time. He also confirmed that he would attend the rival faction’s Martyrs’ Day programme in Kolkata on July 21.

–IANS

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