Mamata Banerjee says betrayers free to exit TMC after Manjul Krishna Thakur joins BJP

KOLKATA: Alarmed at her minister Manjul Krishna Thakur's abrupt move to join BJP, Mamata Banerjee on Friday launched a stock taking exercise within the organisation to identify those ministers, MPs, MLAs and senior party leaders who are maintaining secret links with the BJP and planning to join the saffron party at an opportune moment.

She has asked a few of her most trusted leaders to keep tab on such party functionaries leaders and inform her in advance before any of them could leave Trinamool Congress to join the saffron party.

Thakur, was the minister for refugee relief and rehabilitation in Mamata's cabinet, joined BJP by quitting Trinamool Congress on last Thursday.

Mamata held a closed door meeting with her core committee members and warned that "I don't want any of my leaders, ministers and legislators to back stab the party and stay with our organisation at the same time. Our doors are open for those who want to quit us. These leaders are free to leave us and join any party. But it is difficult for us to tolerate such persons to stay with us and allow them to pretend that they are our well wishers despite knowing the fact that such leaders are maintaining secret links with other parties," apparently angry Mamata told her leaders during the meeting on Friday.