Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday challenged the Trinamool Congress to organise its July 21 Martyrs' Day rally on the Brigade Parade Ground, referring to the party's poor public show and internal divisions after it was ousted from power.
"You have a large crowd! You claim that 30 lakh people attend (the July 21 Martyrs' Day) rally. You held the rally on the Brigade Parade Ground in 2011, didn't you? Then come, let's hold it at Brigade again. Do you have the courage? If you do, then come," Suvendu said on the floor of the Assembly.
His remarks were apparently aimed at the poor turnout at Mamata Banerjee's first outdoor programme in early June at Y-Channel in the city after losing power. Suvendu also recalled how he had to approach the high court more than 100 times seeking permission to organise political programmes during his tenure as the leader of the Opposition.
"I had to go to the high court 104 times (to get permission to hold programmes). And within 15 days (the new government was formed), the former chief minister wanted to organise a programme on Rani Rashmoni Road. I expected a huge turnout. I never thought there would be only 500 or 600 people. So, I allowed her to organise it at Y-Channel," the chief minister said, referring to the recent activities of a group of Trinamool leaders led by Beleghata MLA Kunal Ghosh, who visited the traditional July 21 rally venue near Victoria House.
Ghosh, along with Rajya Sabha member Dola Sen and a few other Trinamool leaders, visited the venue on Sunday and used a measuring tape to measure a stretch of the road, apparently to calculate the size of the dais. Suvendu said that merely submitting an application for permission did not authorise Trinamool leaders to start measuring the road.
"Can you go with a measuring tape simply after submitting an application for permission? Is it your mamar bari (uncle's house)? Who gave you that authority? You may apply for permission, and we will decide where to grant it," the chief minister said.
After Suvendu's speech in the Assembly, Hare Street Police Station registered a case against Ghosh, MP Dola Sen and councillor Baiswanor Chattopadhyay under various sections for allegedly obstructing traffic.
Ghosh later said that the police could not produce even a single piece of evidence to prove that he and his party colleagues had obstructed traffic on Sunday afternoon.
Besides the July 21 Martyrs' Day rally controversy, Suvendu also targeted Ghosh over his earlier demand for the arrest of former mayor Firhad Hakim after Hakim's officer on special duty, Kalicharan Banerjee, was arrested for his alleged involvement in granting permission for the construction of new buildings, after the Taratala incident.
"You (Ghosh) mentioned the name of the former mayor and said he must be arrested by 5pm. Is that so? We have arrested those against whom action was warranted. Someone said, 'Kali (ink) has gone, so why haven't the inkpot and the pen gone?' If the pen refers to Firhad Hakim, then the inkpot is Mamata Banerjee. If the pen goes (to police custody), then the inkpot must go too. But this government will not act without evidence. No action will be taken against anyone without proof," the chief minister said.
Suvendu referred to the divisions within Trinamool, saying the party had become fragmented even inside the Assembly.
"Even you could not put up a robust, united Opposition. Some are breaking away, while others are pulling at each other's shirts. Some are claiming, 'I am Trinamool!'" Suvendu said.
The feud between the two Trinamool factions was visible on the floor of the Assembly on Monday. When Kunal Ghosh went to speak with two of the rebel MLAs, Firhad Hakim and Ghulam Rabbani, another MLA from the rebel group repeatedly objected, saying Ghosh was disturbing his speech on a Bill.
In another interesting development, veteran Trinamool MLA Shobhandeb Chattopadhyay refused to participate in the debate on the two important Bills, alleging that although the names of several Opposition MLAs had been proposed as speakers, Opposition chief whip Mohammed Akhruzzaman had allowed only him to speak.
A senior MLA said it was the first time that an Opposition MLA had levelled such an allegation against his own chief whip in the Assembly.
The House witnessed two division votes on the Bills after the Opposition MLAs demanded voting by division, prompting Speaker Rathindra Bose to conduct formal voting. The OBC Bill was passed with 186 votes in favour, 17 against and six abstentions. The second Bill was passed with 176 votes in favour, 41 against and 20 abstentions.
"It is interesting because the voting pattern of the Opposition MLAs shows that they are not united. Those who abstained from voting belonged to different factions of the Trinamool Congress," a source said.