Kolkata, May 16 (IANS): The Trinamool Congress on Saturday alleged political vendetta by the ruling BJP against party General Secretary and Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee, after the Bidhannagar Cyber Crime Police Station filed an FIR against him on Friday for allegedly inciting violence and threatening Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the pre-poll campaign period ahead of the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections. The FIR was filed based on a complaint lodged by Rajiv Sarkar, a self-described social activist against whom there are allegations of involvement in women trafficking, though Sarkar has denied those allegations and claimed his complaint was not politically motivated. Trinamool Congress spokesperson Arup Chakraborty described the action as “completely atrocious,” questioning why no complaint had been lodged against Amit Shah for allegedly threatening Trinamool Congress workers during his pre-poll campaigns, when he reportedly said they would be “hanged upside down after election results” were declared, and why police had taken no suo motu action on that issue.
Chakraborty further stated that such vindictive action was expected after the BJP came to power in West Bengal, saying “it was just a matter of time” and adding that “the law cannot be used to favour only the BJP.” The FIR against Banerjee has been filed under six sections, with the complainant Sarkar telling media persons that the language used by Banerjee during his campaign could have created anarchy had Trinamool Congress returned to power, and that it could have led to attacks on common people. Sarkar, described as a social activist who had previously filed complaints about bars and entertainment establishments in the Baguiati area, claimed that the allegations of women trafficking against him were politically motivated, arguing that those who fight for social change must deal with such accusations. The Bidhannagar Police registered the FIR based on a complaint originally filed at Baguiati police station on May 5.