Kolkata, June 2 (IANS) A day after Trinamool Congress expelled its party legislator Ritabrata Banerjee, the Uluberia (Purba) MLA on Tuesday afternoon launched a scathing attack against the party’s General Secretary and Lok Sabha member, Abhishek Banerjee.

Ritabrata Banerjee claimed that after facing “public anguish” at Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas district on the afternoon of May 30, Abhishek Banerjee had now sought Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) security cover for himself.

“What kind of a mass leader is he? After the party’s landslide defeat on May 24, he kept himself home-bound for 26 days. Now, he is seeking central forces’ security cover for himself. He had earlier claimed that the public is there to protect him. So why is he now seeking security cover?

“We are not seeking any such security for ourselves. I may be termed as a traitor by some. But no one is branding me as a thief,” Ritabrata Banerjee said while speaking to media persons after turning up at the Assembly premises suddenly on Tuesday afternoon.

He also said Abhishek Banerjee’s attempt to run Trinamool Congress in a corporate-management style through Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) had ruined the party, which was built up by the sincere efforts of former West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee.

“There are very few leaders like Mamata Banerjee. I respected her, still respect her and will continue to respect her,” said Ritabrata Banerjee.

Incidentally, Ritabrata Banerjee and Trinamool Congress legislator from Entally Assembly constituency in North Kolkata, Sandipan Saha was expelled by the Trinamool Congress leadership from the party on Monday.

The expulsion came minutes after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari informed media persons that mismatches in the signatures of Trinamool Congress legislators in a resolution regarding allotment of four crucial slots in the West Bengal Assembly reserved for the Opposition wing, were first revealed to the office of Speaker Rathindra Bose by Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha.

Following that, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of West Bengal Police was given charge of the probe into the matter of signature mismatches.

–IANS

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