Won’t See Suvendu’s Face If He Joins BJP, Says Saugata Roy as He Tries to Fix Dispute Between Him, Abhishek Banerjee

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress MP and senior party Saugata Roy, who played mediator between dissident leader Suvendu Adhikari and party MP Abhishek Banerjee to sort out their differences, has said that he will not see latter’s face if he joins the BJP.

While addressing a public rally in North 24-Parganas district on Thursday night, Roy said, “Suvendu Adhikari was a good leader but he was dismayed over some issues. I requested the party to allow me to play the role of mediator. I did that and brought Abhishek Banerjee and Suvendu Adhikari on one table. Unfortunately, Suvendu didn’t listen.”

“Suvendu has not resigned from the party. As long as long he is in the party, I will continue to meet him several times and will try to convince him. But if he joins the BJP, I will not see his face again,” he said.

Accusing BJP of being an “outsider” party, he said, “They have brought leaders from other states to scare the Bengalis. We believe that people will give them a befitting reply.”

“There is a saying in English – ‘rats are deserting the sinking ships’. There are few who think that TMC is sinking and therefore they are leaving and jumping in the ‘BJP sea’. However, they don’t know that TMC is a strong party and once again we are going to form the government in Bengal. The rats are jumping in the sea and the fate we all know. They will lost in the ‘BJP sea’.”

On the context of state BJP president Dilip Ghosh’s allegation that the state food minister is involved in smuggling of wheat meant for ration shops, Roy said, “I think his mental condition is not good. We usually don’t give much importance to his statements.”

On Tuesday, while addressing a public meeting in Tamluk in East Midnapore on the occasion of freedom fighter Khudiram Bose’s birth anniversary, Suvendu said, “My identity is ‘Son of India’, ‘Son of Bengal’. I am – of the people, by the people, for the people.”

On December 2, Suvendu had reportedly expressed his dismay through a WhatsApp message to party MP Saugata Roy over details of meeting being leaked to the media, claiming that all the ‘issues’ were resolved.

TMC sources said that Suvendu said he was supposed to address the media on December 6 but didn’t like the way details of the meeting were shared with the journalists before his scheduled press conference.