Have some poll duty, but focus is on Bengal: Mukul Roy, BJP leader

Mukul Roy, the former national general secretary of Trinamool Congress who joined the BJP recently, plans to focus on West Bengal even as the BJP has given him a few assignments in other states, including Gujarat. In an interview to ET, Roy said he will not retract the recent allegations he has levelled against West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew. Excerpts

You have received a defamation notice for the charges you have made against Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek. How do you plan to handle this?
I have made four allegations against the Banerjees. First, Biswa Bangla, then Jago Bangla and the latest two are Ma Mati Manush and Trinamool Congress logo. I had said that both Biswa Bangla, which appears to be a government enterprise, and Jago Bangla, which looks like a mouthpiece of the party, are in reality private companies, owned by Abhishek Banerjee. I still stick to my point.

A defamation notice was sent to me and I responded to that too. The rest, I will fight legally. I know that two senior IAS officers swung into action with their explanations, but I have documents to show that these were registered under Abhishek Banerjee’s name. As far as the last two claims are concerned, I have said that Ma Mati Manush slogan and the logo of the party are also registered under his name. I am anyway not retracting my allegations.

You have accused Mamata Banerjee of wiretapping. She herself used to allege that her phone was intercepted by the Left Front government and then by the central government…
My case will be heard on Monday in the Delhi High Court. I have four cell phone numbers and all of them are under surveillance. I am not able to talk on phone and always forced to use WhatsApp to speak to people. I have appealed to the court to order an investigation into the matter. But it has to be investigated by a central agency. I will accept the outcome of the investigation, whatever it is. It seems she has adopted the same tricks which once CPM used to play on her.

You are seen spending more time in Delhi since you joined BJP. Are you shifting focus from West Bengal?
I have been given some work in Gujarat and I have been asked to travel to Tripura, Odisha and Jharkhand. But there is no question of shifting focus. My main focus is only on Bengal. I was given a very warm reception in the party. Senior leaders are responding to my work and cooperating with me. Moreover, this is election time. I want to concentrate on party work nationally.

How do you feel when some of your former colleagues call you a traitor?
Yes, in the last public meeting, some of them gave me new names. But this is not the time to react to them. It will distract me. They are kids in politics. For me, it is time to act, not to react.