Mamata Banerjee denies calling Amit Shah for TMC status; says will quit if proven

Kolkata: Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, denied the allegations made by the leader of the opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, and declared that she would resign if it were established that she had called Union Home Minister Amit Shah after her party, the TMC, lost its status as a national party to the Election Commission of India.

“I was surprised and shocked (to hear it)… I will resign if it is proven that I called Amit Shah over Trinamool’s national party status,” Banerjee said at a press conference.

“One person lies and claims that I called someone four times after the TMC lost the national party status. This is then published in the print media and broadcast across news organisations. Media channels run the lies that are being spread by BJP leaders non-stop, and after my clarification, they will put out a one-line reply. So, in reality, a false claim will get more limelight, and the truth will get a one-line reply,” the TMC chief said, Indian Express reported.

“From this press conference, I challenge the person who made this claim to prove his remarks, and if he can, I will resign from the post of the CM. If his claims are proven wrong, will the BJP leader resign and accept defeat? I will reiterate that I demand the resignation of the person for misusing his constitutional post and breaking the federal structure of our country, through attempts to topple a democratically-elected government,” she added without taking the names of BJP leaders Adhikari and Amit Shah.

She also questioned the judgement made by the Election Commission and said that the polling body was following BJP instructions.

“Can the Election Commission do anything that the BJP doesn’t want? As per the system of recognising national parties, the status is reviewed every 10 years. The last review for our party was done in 2016. So, the next review should have taken place in 2026. But they didn’t even wait till the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Our party’s name was and will remain All India Trinamool Congress. If the BJP opposes it, they can go to the EC. If they have the EC with them, we have the support of the people. This name wasn’t given to us out of pity, we fought for it and we have MPs and MLAs to prove our strength,” she said.

Soon after, Adhikari in a tweet said that he would give a “befitting reply” on Thursday. “For making the call to Delhi, you used a landline. I’d expose you in due time. Wait for my befitting reply tomorrow,” the BJP MLA tweeted.

Additionally, Adhikari criticised the chief minister for her accusations made against the EC. “A CM who’s taken Oath of Office bearing allegiance to the Constitution of India; is politically attacking ECI (Autonomous Constitutional Authority), at a Press Conference inside State Secretariat with the National Flag & Emblem in the background,” he tweeted and tagged the EC, urging it to take cognisance.

Adhikari asserted on Tuesday that Banerjee had called Amit Shah and pleaded with him to step in and restore the TMC's national party status. “Taake char baar phone kore paa dhorechhe. Phoney pa dhorechhe. Bolechhe, amar rashtriya takmata ki 2024 obdhi rakha jabe na? Aar Amitji bolechhe na rakha jabe na (She called him four times and touched his feet. Touched his feet on the phone call and requested him to allow TMC to have the national party status till 2024. Amit Shah said, no, it cannot be retained).”