Adding more to the controversy, veteran politician and TMC Contai MP Sisir Adhikari was seen sharing the same dais with BJP MLAs at a Durga Puja in Contai on Thursday evening.
While inaugurating the Durga Puja at Contai, Adhikari was seen sharing the stage with BJP Kharagpur MLA Hiran Chattopadhyay, Contai (South) MLA Arup Das and BJP leader Rudranil Ghosh.
Though Adhikari’s comment was not available, TMC state general secretary and spokesperson Kunal Ghosh slammed Adhikari and said that Adhikari is mentally and physically with the saffron camp.
"He is doing whatever his heart is saying. Ahead of last year’s Assembly election, he was seen at BJP’s rally and also spoke against TMC despite being a TMC MP. Now he is sharing the Durga Puja stage with BJP MLAs. So why can’t he speak openly that he is with the BJP?" questioned Ghosh.
Countering Ghosh’s claim, BJP spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya said, "Now people are waking up listening to coal, cattle and other scams even during Durga Puja. BJP will continue with their stand against the scams."
It may be noted that on September 27 the privilege committee of the Lok Sabha had sent a notice to TMC MP Sisir Adhikari and asked him to be present before the committee in the House on October 12 by 12:30 pm.
The committee had asked Adhikari to give a verbal explanation on why his MP post should not be cancelled as demanded by other TMC leadership.
Adhikari is a three-time TMC MP of TMC from the Contai constituency in East Midnapore. He is also the father of Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari.
In June this year, TMC MP Sudip Bandhopadhyay had requested Speaker Om Birla to disqualify Sisir Adhikari’s MP post stating that he had defected to BJP. The distance between Sisir and TMC began after his son Suvendu defected to BJP in 2021. Sisir was also seen at a rally of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The district TMC leadership had said that they would also use the presence of Adhikari in Durga Puja dais with BJP MLAs for disqualifying Adhikari’s MP post.
