Naxalbari's Tribal family who hosted Amit Shah joins Mamata's party; BJP accuses 'TMC goons' of 'kidnapping' Mahali couple

Union Law Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday slammed West Bengal chief minister Mamata Bannerjee for mounting pressure on the tribal family of Naxalbari who had hosted BJP national president Amit Shah during his visit to north Bengal last week. 

In an embarrassment to the BJP in West Bengal, Raju Mahali and Geeta Mahali, who had hosted Amit Shah on April 25 during his visit to the area, today joined the TMC in the presence of senior TMC leader and tourism minister Gautam Deb.

Ravi Shankar Prasad said: “It is a matter of concern that the West Bengal, which used to suffer from the oppression of the Left parties, is today suffering from the oppression of the Trinamool Congress."

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“We condemn it outright. Such actions will not stop the expansion of the BJP in West Bengal,” the minister further added.

"I was inspired by the developmental work of Mamata Banerjee and that is why we have joined the TMC. Nobody has forced us to join the party," Geeta Mahali later said.

A stung BJP, however, accused the TMC of 'kidnapping' the family and forcing them to join the party, but Deb said they had been inspired by the life and struggle of Mamata Banerjee and so joined the party.

West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said, "We had reports that they were being threatened by TMC goons. They had been missing for the last two days. We also filed an FIR after they had gone missing. They were kidnapped by the TMC and forced to join the party. We condemn such act."

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During his north Bengal trip, Shah had eaten his lunch sitting on the floor of Raju Mahali's modest house at Dakkhin Katiajote village in the Naxalbari area. BJP's West Bengal unit president Dilip Ghosh also had lunch there.

With inputs from PTI