Birbhum's Trinamool Congress leader Anubrata Mondal, who allegedly embarrassed the party by abusing a police officer over the phone recently, has been invited to attend the party's preparatory meeting for the July 21 Martyrs’ Day rally in Calcutta, along with eight other members of the district core committee.
A source said that inviting Mondal to the state-level meeting has reinforced the Opposition's allegation that the Trinamool Congress is unlikely to take any punitive action against the leader, as seen in the past, and that his position within the party will remain untouched.
TMC state president Subrata Bakshi will chair the preparatory meeting for Martyrs’ Day at his Bhawanipore office on the afternoon of June 14. Presidents of all organisational districts, core committee members of North Calcutta and Birbhum, along with a few senior party leaders, are expected to attend.
Mondal confirmed that he had been invited and would attend the meeting.
“Why shouldn’t I attend the meeting? Bakshi-da has called it—how can I not be there?” the leader said over the phone on Sunday evening.
In the organisational reshuffle on May 16, the Trinamool Congress removed Mondal from the post of district president and included him as a member of the district core committee to oversee party activities ahead of next year’s Assembly elections.
Despite being removed from the district president post and the party’s instruction for collective decision-making by the nine-member committee, Anubrata again drew controversy on May 28 by verbally abusing Bolpur inspector-in-charge Liton Halder and his family.
After the audio clip of the conversation went viral on social media, the party immediately directed Mondal to apologise publicly. Police registered a criminal case under two non-bailable sections. After evading two summons, Mondal finally appeared for police interrogation on June 5.
Since the party has taken no action against him so far, Opposition leaders—including those from the CPM and BJP—have questioned whether Trinamool will ever discipline the controversial leader.
Taking it a step further, leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari claimed that not only would Mondal be spared, but IC Liton Halder who dared to accuse him would be suspended.
Following Mondal’s invitation to the state-level meeting, Opposition leaders mocked the TMC.
“It is only natural that Mondal would be invited to the Calcutta meeting—his culture reflects the culture of the Trinamool Congress. We are certain the party won’t take any action against him,” said BJP Birbhum president Dhruba Saha.
CPM leader Sujan Chakraborty added that individuals like Anubrata are seen as assets to the Trinamool Congress. “He will be invited because people like him represent what the party stands for. The party embodies the same culture,” Chakraborty said.
On Monday, Adhikari will be in Birbhum to lead a protest march against Mondal’s abuse of the police officer, demanding punishment.