Trinamool MP threatens to chop off Marxist leader's tongue, limbs

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member from West Bengal, Idris Ali has courted controversy for threatening "tearing off the tongue" and "chopping off limbs" of a CPI-M leader.

The comments were made by Ali, who represents Basirhat in North 24 Parganas district, on Friday against former state minister and Communist Party of India (Marxist) district secretary Gautam Deb.

Broadcast by TV channels on Saturday, Ali is seen threatening Deb who earlier in the week had said the state's ruling Trinamool will not be able to witness the 2016 Durga Puja as they will be subjected to "visarjan" by the people of Bengal in the assembly polls.

Visarjan is a Hindu ritual of immersing idols of deities signifying the culmination of Puja.

"Gautam Deb says he will immerse Mamata Banerjee next year. That means he will kill her. If he again says something like that, listen, this is Idris Ali saying, I will tear off his tongue. I will chop off his hands and legs," Ali said addressing a party rally in Hasnabad in the district.

Reacting to Ali's comments, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Nepaldeb Bhattacharya said the remarks were not surprising as hate speech has become the "hallmark" of Trinamool leaders.

Several Trinamool leaders in the past have courted controversies for making hate speeches. Mamata Banerjee's nephew and party Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee recently received flak for exhorting "gouging out eyes and chopping off hands" which are raised against the people of the state.

Actor-turned-Trinamool Lok Sabha member Tapas Paul attracted nationwide condemnation for threatening to "let loose his boys for raping" Marxist women.