State tourism minister Gautam Deb, considered north Bengal’s tallest Trinamul leader, on Thursday seemed to lose his cool while campaigning in his Dabgram-Fulbari constituency.

Deb, in Thakurnagar area on Siliguri outskirts in Jalpaiguri district, was heard telling a monk that if he supported Trinamul, he would be allowed to stay on, but support to the saffron camp would amount to his eviction.

Deb said this in front of a small ashram run by a monk, Sudhakrishna Das Goswami, on government land near Eastern Bypass that skirts Siliguri. He later defended his statement by alleging that RSS activities went on inside the ashram.

“You are residing on government land…if you support us, we will extend all help to you… but if you back the BJP, you have to face eviction. I am Gautam Deb and what I say I do,” Deb was heard telling Goswami.

Goswami, who appeared baffled, mumbled that he was a “simple monk and not into political activities”.

The minister, however, went on: “Sitting on a government land, such political practices might be carried out in Modi’s state (Gujarat)… but it won’t be allowed in Bengal.”

Contacted later, the monk said he has been staying at the ashram for past five-six years.

“I am not into political activities. The ashram’s doors are open for all. At times, people who assemble here do start political discussions but I have no connection with them. I have no inkling why he (the state tourism minister) passed such remarks at me,” he said.

Sikha Chatterjee, the BJP candidate, was quick to react. She alleged that over the years, some local Trinamul leaders helped many people to settle on government land in exchange of money.

“Ironically, a Trinamul leader is threatening (one of) them to face eviction. We have a good number of supporters in the locality. We believe the minister’s reaction is a sudden outburst of his frustration,” she said.

With the BJP drumming up the issue, Deb tried to clarify his comments.

“We have information that the premises in which that person (Goswami) lives, is being used by the RSS for training. Also, secret meetings of the BJP are being held in the location. That is why I made it clear that such political activities can’t be carried out by encroaching on a government plot. I do not think there has been any violation of the model code of conduct,” he said.

In Dabgram-Fulbari seat spread over 14 wards of Siliguri Municipal Corporation and four adjoining panchayats of Jalpaiguri, the contest between Trinamul and BJP is heating up.

In 2011, Deb won with a margin of 11,236 votes. In 2016, he won with an even bigger margin of 23,811 votes. But in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP got a lead of 86,117 votes. This election promises to reveal which trend — of 2016 or 2019 — proves enduring.