Dilip Ghosh Says Mamata Banerjee in Delhi to Stay Relevant, Targets Her Support for CJP Protest

West Bengal Panchayat Affairs and Rural Development Minister and senior BJP leader Dilip Ghosh on Sunday alleged that former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had travelled to New Delhi in an attempt to remain relevant in national politics after being rejected by voters in West Bengal.

Ghosh, a former BJP national vice-president and state president, also mocked Banerjee, suggesting that she might travel to neighbouring Bangladesh to join a movement in a further attempt to remain in the political spotlight.

“She and her party, Trinamool Congress, have been completely rejected by the people of West Bengal. The combined vote share of the two factions of Trinamool Congress in the recently concluded bypolls to two Assembly constituencies in West Bengal has been less than three per cent. Trinamool Congress is non-existent in West Bengal. So, she has gone to New Delhi to keep herself relevant in the media. She should now go to neighbouring Bangladesh and join any movement there to keep herself more relevant. But still her party will never benefit,” Ghosh told reporters.

Ghosh also criticised the ongoing Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)-led protest in New Delhi demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, which Banerjee has supported.

Alleging foreign funding and a conspiracy by anti-national forces behind the agitation, Ghosh defended the government’s response to the protest.

“There is foreign funding behind this movement. A conspiracy by the anti-national forces is behind this movement. The government has done the right thing in taking action in the larger interest of the country and its people,” he said.

Ghosh is not the first BJP leader in West Bengal to criticise Banerjee over her participation in the CJP agitation.

On Saturday, BJP state president and Rajya Sabha member Samik Bhattacharya, without directly naming the Congress or the Trinamool Congress faction led by Banerjee, said a “half-dead” political force had joined hands with a “dead” force in an attempt to remain relevant through the protest.

Bhattacharya also questioned Banerjee’s decision to travel to New Delhi during the Mahalaya festivities rather than remain in West Bengal.

“On the occasion of Mahalaya today, the former West Bengal Chief Minister has gone to New Delhi instead of staying in the state. We want her to stay here during this festivity time and visit various puja pandals. We want to see her doing that. Where have all the big Trinamool Congress leaders gone?” he asked on Saturday.