Mamata Banerjee defends controversial party man Anubrata Mandal

DURGAPUR: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today defended controversial party leader Anubrata Mandal, who had threatened to chop off the hands of Congress workers.

"Some people are after him. They say lots of things against him, but he is a good organiser and is working well," Banerjee told party workers at a function here.

"But he has a problem. Not many people know that he doesn't keep well and needs oxygen support frequently. We cannot be inhuman toward him," she said.

Mondal, Birbhum district president of Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the party's observer for Burdwan, had on November six during a party programme in Katwa threatened to chop off the hands of Congress workers if they tried to damage hoardings of the chief minister or party flags.

He had also courted controversy during the last panchayat elections for his hate speech when he had asked party supporters to burn the houses of independent candidates (dissident TMC supporters) and hurl bombs at policemen if they went to rescue them.