Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee sends legal letter to BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya, seeks apology

Trinamool MP and national president of All India Trinamool Youth Congress (AITYC) Abhishek Banerjee, on Saturday sent a legal letter to BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya alleging him of defamatory statements and seeking an apology. AITYC is the youth wing of the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

In a letter to Vijayvargiya, Abhishek, nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has written asking him to apologise within 72 hours failing of which he will file a criminal case against the BJP leader. 

Earlier on Friday, Vijayvargiya had visited Shantipur in Nadia district of the state where 12 people died of hooch and blamed Abhishek of being "directly responsible for the deaths". Vijayvargiya also accused that the entire money from sale of illegal liquor/hooch goes to the house of Abhishek.

"There are two parallel governments running in this state. One is Mamata's government and the other is Abhishek's government. Mamata government deals in sale of country liquor while Abhishk's provides protection to people involved in production of this kind of illegal liquor/hooch. The funds from sale of country liquor goes to the state exchequer while the entire money from sale of illegal liquor/hooch goes to the house of Abhishek. So Abhishek is directly responsible for the deaths of these people because whatever illegal activities are going on, in the state is being given protection to, by Abhishek Banerjee. Hence, it is my direct allegation that if anyone is responsible for these deaths, it is the nephew of Mamata, i.e. Abhishek who is continuously protecting such illegal activities," the letter said quoting the BJP leader.

Slamming the BJP leader, Abhishek asked him to issue an unconditional apology within 72 hours "retracting the false, virulent and mala-fide statements". The TMC leader warned that if Vijayvargiya failed to do so, he would initiate a strong action, both civil and criminal, against him in accordance with law without any further notice to him.

Abhishek has called the statements defamatory, malicious, false, and politically motivated. His lawyer accused Vijayvargiya of damaging Abhishek as well as the party image.