Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee sends defamation notice to PM Modi

Amid a bitter war-of-words between the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Kolkata, Abhishek Banerjee, the AITC leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew, on Saturday sent a defamation notice to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the defamation suit, Banerjee accused Modi of making derogatory remarks against him during his May 15 election rally at Diamond Harbour in West Bengal.

"Trinamool Congress leader and nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee through his lawyer sends a defamation notice to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for alleged derogatory remarks made against him in a public rally on 15 May, held in Diamond Harbour in West Bengal," the news agency ANI reported.

TMC leader & nephew of West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee through his lawyer sends a defamation notice to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for alleged derogatory remarks made against him in a public rally on 15 May, held in Diamond Harbour in West Bengal. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/3kYEcyiQBu

— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2019

Addressing an election rally, Modi on Wednesday hit out at Mamata Banerjee for her 'anarchist behaviour' in the state and said her nephew Abhishek Banerjee's office will be locked up soon after the results of Lok Sabha polls.

"After election results, Didi's nephew's office will be locked. I was told that his office, as per Trinamool Congress tradition, was built after occupying the public roa. Didi, your party has earned a lot of tojabaji (extortion), at least do not occupy public roads for the construction of newphew's office," Modi was quoted as saying.

"The West Bengal government is a bua-bhatije ki sarkar (aunt-nephew’s government) and is only interested in looting the state," he added.

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From the removal of Kolkata police chief Rajeev Kumar to curtailing the last leg of election campaign in the state, West Bengal has become a Modi vs Mamata battle ground, days ahead of the Lok Sabha verdict on May 23. In the mean time, Banerjee's notice to the prime minister will surely give a further boost to the ongoing controversy across the political scene in West Bengal.

In a rare decision, the Election Commission of India invoked Article 324 of the constitution on Wednesday, saying that campaigning for the last phase of Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal will end on Thursday, a day earlier than the scheduled.

The poll panel has also ordered immediate removal of two senior officials – ADG CID Rajeev Kumar, and home secretary Atri Bhattacharya, following complaint by seveal opposition parties in the poll-bound West Bengal.

The last phase of Lok Sabha elections in nine parliamentary constituencies of West Bnegal is scheduled to be held on Sunday, May 19. The seats, which are going to polls, are - Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Jadavpur, Diamond Harbour, South and North Kolkata. The counting of votes forf the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections will be taken up on May 23.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Abhishek Banerjee sends defamation notice to PM Modi.
• Banerjee accuses Modi of making derogatory remarks against him.
• At Diamond Harbour rally, Modi threatened to lock Banerjee's office.