Kolkata, 07 November (H.S.) : West Bengal Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Dilip Ghosh on Saturday dismissed allegations of an attempted attack on Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee, simultaneously taking a sarcastic swipe at the TMC leader's birthday celebrations. Speaking to the media during his morning walk at Kolkata's Eco Park, Ghosh remarked that a leader of Banerjee's stature should have hosted his birthday bash in a grand hotel rather than on a footpath.

Taking a dig at the violent clashes that erupted outside the TMC leader’s residence, Ghosh quipped that sweets should have been thrown instead of bricks and stones. The remarks came in the wake of Friday night's chaotic events when TMC supporters gathered outside Banerjee’s Kalighat Road residence to celebrate his birthday. Tensions escalated when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers allegedly arrived at the spot, leading to heavy sloganeering from both sides that eventually spiraled into a physical scuffle, prompting Banerjee to step out of his residence.

Following the clash, Abhishek Banerjee alleged that armed individuals had arrived at the location with the intention of assassinating him. The Diamond Harbour MP further claimed that his supporters had apprehended the armed accused on the spot.

Reacting to the assassination plot claims, Ghosh stated that while he was not entirely aware of the complete details of the incident, such reactions were perhaps the result of organizing a political celebration on a footpath. Drawing parallels with former statements made by the TMC camp, Ghosh asserted, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also used to make such claims in the past. When individuals feel the ground slipping from beneath their feet, they resort to such emotional rhetoric.

During his media interaction, the BJP leader also launched a scathing attack on the Left Front. Ridiculing the Left's recent door-to-door campaign promoting reading habits—launched in protest against the alleged vandalism of their book stalls during Durga Puja—Ghosh termed the initiative hypocritical. Those who systematically destroyed West Bengal's education system are now advising people to read books. It is ridiculous. Who is actually going to read their books? he questioned.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh