Sarma Mocks Trinamool's New 'Football' Symbol Ahead of Bengal Bypolls
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma mocked the Trinamool faction's new 'football player' symbol and defended the arrest of a Congress candidate in Nandigram.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday taunted former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the Election Commission's decision to temporarily freeze the Trinamool Congress' existing name and its 'Jora Ghash Phul' (twin flowers and grass) symbol, saying the newly allotted 'football player' symbol would also soon be rendered useless.
The Banerjee-led faction of the Trinamool was on Friday granted the name 'Mamata All India Trinamool Congress' and the 'football player' symbol for the October 6 bypolls to two Assembly constituencies in West Bengal. The rival group led by Arup Roy received the name 'Democratic Trinamool Congress' and the 'envelope' symbol.
Speaking to reporters after his first visit to West Bengal since the BJP's victory in the state Assembly elections, Sarma said Banerjee would not return to power. "Mamata is gone now. She will not come back," he said, adding that Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari would develop the state while Banerjee watched.
Turning to the party symbol, he said the twin flowers were already gone and predicted the football would follow. "The football will get deflated. Wait for two days; Mamata didi will be nowhere," he said.
Sarma also criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the arrest of the party's candidate for the Nandigram bypoll, Milan Pradhan. Pradhan was arrested by West Bengal Police on Friday on four pending non-bailable warrants dating back to the 2007 Nandigram anti-land acquisition agitation. Police said the cases involve serious charges, including murder and attempt to murder.
The contest in Nandigram intensified after the Banerjee-led faction withdrew its candidate, Sanchita Pradhan Dey, and extended support to the Congress nominee. Following the arrest, Gandhi and the Congress accused the BJP-led state government of political vendetta and called the action a "murder of democracy".
Sarma defended the police action and questioned the Congress leadership's decision to field a candidate facing criminal cases. "Did Rahul Gandhi give him a licence to murder?" he asked, noting that two or three murder cases were registered against Pradhan in 2007 and that the police were duty-bound to arrest him.
He also attacked Gandhi personally, calling him "completely mad" and saying he found the Congress leader's public appearances amusing.
The developments come amid heightened political activity in West Bengal ahead of the October 6 by-elections, with the dispute over the Trinamool's name and symbol adding another layer to the contest.