Warning for Subhendu Adhikary? Mamata Banerjee says she won’t tolerate blackmailing, bargaining

Mamata Banerjee on Monday issued a warning for the “Bharatiya Janata Party and its friends”, saying she won’t tolerate blackmailing, bargaining or playing with fire. Speaking at a public meeting in the Midnapore College grounds, Banerjee said this perhaps as a message for Subhendu Adhikary, though she did not mention his name. However, Trinamool Congress insiders feel that this may have been directed at Adhikary.

There were speculations on what “message” Banerjee might have for Adhikary today, after he recently stepped down as minister. Though he has not resigned as MLA nor quit Trinamool Congress, all attempts at reconciliation seem to have led to a dead end. Banerjee however, did not mention his name even once, but her words seem to have been directed at her former cabinet colleague. She said that the “BJP and its friends” were hoping that they would put the Trinamool Congress in trouble through blackmailing and bargaining. “But I would warn them to not play with fire,” she said.

“They are saying either go to jail or stay home quietly. What are you scared of? Put me in jail and I will fight for freedom from jail. But I won’t allow Bengal to be turned into Gujarat,” Banerjee added. At the meeting, she further said that outsiders were coming in and distributing cash in various parts of the state. “Whatever they do, we will win in 2021, because the people are with us,” the Trinamool Congress chief said.