Jalandhar: Slamming TMC MP Tapas Pal’s controversial comments allegedly threatening to kill CPI(M) workers and have their women raped, BJP on Tuesday demanded that the leader be put “behind bars”, saying he has “no right” to be in any political party.
BJP’s national vice-president Laxmi Kant Chawla has shot off a letter to the TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stating that leaders like Pal should not be a part of any political entity and be put behind bars. “It has come to the public notice that your party MP Tapas Pal talked about shooting, beating and raping women. The matter obviously has brought you embarrassment and ridicule. We request you to expel the leader from the party and send him behind bars for making such insensitive comments against women,” the letter said.
Chawla reiterated that Pal has “no right” to be in the party and the TMC chief being a woman herself should immediately put the leader behind bars. Pal’s comment which went viral on a vernacular TV news channel on Monday had quoted him saying, “If any CPIM man is present here. Listen to me. If you ever touch any Trinamool Congress worker or their families at Choumaha, you have to pay for this. Don’t try to act smart with me. I am smarter than you…” “… Earlier, you guys have bullied me on various occasions. If you insult the mothers and daughters of Trinamool workers. Then I won’t spare you. I will let loose my boys in your homes and they will commit rape. I will teach each of you a lesson,” the MP had warned. Pal, however, denied that he spoke about rape. “What I said was I will tell my workers to ‘raid’.”
Meanwhile, another BJP national vice-president, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, said in Jammu that Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee should take action against her party MP Pal. “She (Banerjee) should shed her arrogance and initiate action against him (Pal),” Naqvi told reporters. “If Mamata continues to be arrogant, her party MPs and MLAs will also follow suit. Apology is not enough as he has insulted the women and the society by his statement,” he said.
Hitting out at the West Bengal ruling party, Naqvi said the TMC was voted to power by the people with expectations, but “it has become a government of non-deliverance. There is lawlessness… It has become a centre of Naxalism”. “Naxalites have grown in TMC. Most of Naxalites leaders and those hardliners from CPI(M) have joined TMC. The situation in West Bengal has been deteriorating every day,” he added.
He said that the Trinamool leadership does not have controlled over its elected representatives. “I had personally visited West Bengal and filed a report about its law and order situation with the BJP president,” he said.
Replying to a question on the controversy surrounding Dwaraka Peeth Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand’s remarks against Sai Baba, Naqvi said that there should be an end to this issue. “It is not wise to comment on statements of sadhus and sants… Put an end to this issue,” he said.
MP’s wife apologises, says there is other part of story
Kolkata: A day after TMC MP Tapas Pal allegedly threatened to kill CPI(M) workers and have their women raped, his wife Nandini Pal on Tuesday apologised for her husband’s controversial comment and said there was another part of the story.
“I apologise for his comment. Of course there is no question of supporting it. But yes I know there is another part of the story, which provoked him to do that. The entire incident had happened long back, what led to such a thing there is another part of the story,” Nandini told reporters here.
“On behalf of him I am saying sorry,” said Nandini. The controversial comment had triggered an uproar and sparked condemnation by opposition parties with CPI-M demanding that the Lok Sabha Speaker take suo motu cognisance of Pal’s outburst and disqualify him.
Trinamool Congress on Monday demanded an explanation in writing from the party’s actor-MP within 48 hours for his comment. “The statements made by Mr Tapas Pal are utterly insensitive. The party does not in any way endorse what he said many weeks ago, which is being played out on TV channels,” party spokesman Derek O Brien had said.
The MP’s comment also drew condemnation from the National Commission for Women.
Condemning the remarks, NCW Chairperson Mamta Sharma demanded that strict action be taken against Pal. “I think he should be suspended and investigation should be carried out. I am disappointed that no action has been taken against him as yet and no FIR has been lodged,” she said. (PTI)