May disturb communal harmony: Complaint against Abhishek Banerjee over X post
A complaint has been lodged against Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee over a social media post that allegedly could disturb communal harmony. Kolkata Police have begun a preliminary inquiry, days after an FIR over his alleged campaign remarks triggered controversy.
Trouble continued to mount for Abhishek Banerjee after another complaint was lodged against him over a social media post, with the complainant alleging that it could disturb communal harmony, a police officer said on Thursday.
The complaint was filed at Bhawanipur Police Station by Arnab Kanti Das, who described the post by the Diamond Harbour MP as "highly irresponsible." Police said a copy of the social media post, made on May 2, was also submitted along with the complaint.
The tweet cited in the complaint showed Kalyan Banerjee challenging the Centre and the Election Commission of India to bring all their power to defeat Trinamool in Falta, which falls under his Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency. The tweet was posted on the day repolling was announced in Falta.
"Ten lifetimes won't be enough for your Bangla Birodhi Gujarati gang and their stooge Gyanesh Kumar to put even a dent in my DIAMOND HARBOUR MODEL. Bring everything you have got. I challenge the entire Union of India- Come to Falta. Send your strongest, send one of the godfathers from Delhi. If you have got the nerve, contest in Falta."
The complainant goes on to highlight that the word "gang" used to label the Gujarati community in the post "connotes something negative, a word that is associated with crime, the underworld, an expression that is far removed from the social mainstream- and that which is far from the truth."
"Labelling an entire community as constituting a 'gang' goes against the grain of the law, against the very spirit of the country's social fabric and the spirit of Unity in Diversity that hold our nation together," Das wrote in the complaint.
Following the complaint, a preliminary inquiry has been started. "We have received the complaint and started a preliminary probe into the allegations mentioned in it. Necessary legal steps will be taken based on the findings of the inquiry," a senior Kolkata Police officer told news agency PTI.
The latest complaint comes days after an FIR was registered against Banerjee at the Bidhannagar Cyber Crime police station in connection with alleged provocative remarks made during election campaigning. The FIR was lodged on the basis of a complaint by Rajib Sarkar, a resident of Baguiati, over remarks allegedly made by the Trinamool Congress leader at a public rally on April 27.
At that rally, Banerjee had allegedly challenged the BJP and said he would see "who comes to save them after midnight on May 4," remarks that triggered political controversy. With the fresh complaint now under inquiry, police have said further legal action will depend on the findings of the preliminary probe.