TMC leader says Abhishek Banerjee's comment blown out of proportion

KOLKATA: A senior Trinamool Congress leader and minister today came to the defence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee, saying he did not made any controversial comment and that whatever he said had been blown out of proportion.

"He (Abhishek) did not make any controversial comment. His comment has been blown out of proportion. The BJP is lodging cases against Abhishek. We too will lodge cases against Rahul Sinha for his comments," West Bengal Food and Supplies Minister Jyotipriyo Mallick told PTI.

On Monday, while addressing a meeting at Basirhat in North-Parganas district Abhishek Banerjee had threatened to "chop off hands and gouge out eyes" of those who dared to challenge the ruling party, inviting strong criticism from opposition parties.

A state BJP leader filed a complaint at a city police station against Abhishek, who heads the youth wing of the Trinamool Congress.

Top CPI-M leaders, including party general secretary Sitaram Yechury, and BJP leaders, including the party's national secretary Siddharth Nath Singh, condemned Abhishek's inflammatory statement.