Not against Mamata-Suvendu courtesy meeting: Dilip Ghosh

Kolkata: Senior BJP leader Dilip Ghosh Saturday said he was not against the courtesy meeting between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari but is not in favour of the saffron party accompanying TMC representatives to Delhi to demand money from the Centre.

Asked about the courtesy meeting between the TMC Chairperson and Adhikari at her assembly chamber on Friday, the BJP National Vice-President told reporters "I have nothing against courtesy calls." "Many people go to Kalighat (temple) to offer pronam (respect), they can do so if they wish. But I heard the CM also advocated visit of a joint team to demand money from Centre. Once the TMC government gets the Central money that will be used for organising fairs, festivals and dole politics like Lakshmi Bhandar (the social welfare project for disadvantaged women)," he said.

West Bengal Congress President Adhir Ranjan Choudhury said "Suvendu used to be a loyal soldier of Mamata Banerjee. He was the key person behind panchayat violence in Murshidabad and many other districts. Now he is with BJP but it is anyone's guess what transpired between the two when they met at assembly." TMC Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen said the comments by Dilip Ghosh show he does not care about Bengal's interests.

"Dilip Ghosh had spoken against Centre releasing the due amount to West Bengal on earlier occasions. This shows he is against the people of state," Sen said.

The TMC MP added "BJP leaders like Dilip Ghosh are envious of the popular appeal of Mamata Banerjee among the electorate. Also they lack the basic courtesy for a woman leader and are prejudiced which is reflected in Ghosh's sarcastic comment (many people visit Kalighat to offer prayer)." West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday held a "courtesy meeting" with Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari at her chamber in the state Assembly, raising eyebrows in political circles.

During a discussion on 'Constitution Day' in the House on Friday, the CM said that she had at one point adored him (Adhikari) like a brother.

Adhikari and Banerjee had been at loggerheads since the end of 2020 when he switched over to the BJP from the TMC and defeated the TMC supremo in Nandigram in the Assembly polls.

Adhikari met Banerjee at her chamber along with three other BJP MLAs on Friday.

He later described it as a courtesy call.

"I was told by an assembly staff, the CM wants to meet me and I went to her chamber along with three other senior MLAs. It was a courtesy call. Our fight against the appeasement politics of the TMC government, against its attack on political opponents, against its corruption will continue and intensify in the coming days," he added.