West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee has stoked a controversy by publicly threatening to “chop off hands and gouge out eyes”of those who dared to challenge the ruling party. 27-year-old Abhishek, a first-time parliamentarian, had reportedly said this yesterday at a meeting at Basirhat North 24-Parganas district in the presence of senior party leaders.
The comments evoked strong condemnation from opposition parties in the state. BJP General Secretary in charge of West Bengal affairs Siddarth Nath Singh has termed the comments made by Mr. Banerjee as dictatorial and anti democratic. The West Bengal State Congress chief Adhir Choudhary has said that the statement smells of autocraticism.
The CPIM and the Left have lambasted the statement saying that it was anti people. However, the Trinamool Congress in a late confirmation has said that the statement made by Mr.Abhishek Banerjee has been misconstrued.