Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee pursuing double standards in slap case, says BJP

KOLKATA: The BJP today accused West Bengal Chief Minister's nephew and Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee of pursuing a double standards in the slap case, while Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) denied that the youth who attacked Banerjee is its member.

A day after the attack on him at Chandipur in East Midanpore district, Abhishek today said he has forgiven the attacker Debashis Acharya, and wish him speedy recovery as he was severely assaulted by TMC workers subsequently.

BJP national secretary in-charge of West Bengal Siddharth Nath Singh asked if Abhishek has forgiven his attacker, why he was beaten up mercilessly and why a murder case was lodged against him when he just slapped.

"We don't support such assault. But the question is if Abhishek had forgiven him then why did his supporters beat him up mercilessly and lodge a murder case," Singh told PTI.

Doctors at Tamluk Hospital, where Acharya has been admitted, said his condition was critical.

Singh also took a dig at TMC Rajya Sabha member Derek O' Brien statement that 'T' and 'C' of TMC stand for tolerance and communal harmony.

"I want to say that T and C of TMC stand for terrorism and communal politics," said the BJP leader.

He said BJP doesn't need to take lesson on tolerance from TMC which allegedly killed five BJP workers, who were from the minority community, in the past six months.

Meanwhile, BJP's student wing ABVP denied claims by the police that Acharya was an activist of the organisation.

"It is a conspiracy hatched to malign ABVP. We want to state clearly that the arrested youth Debashis Acharya is in no way is associated with ABVP," ABVP leader Shantanu Sinha told reporters here.

A campaign has been launched as ABVP is slowly gaining ground in educational institutions of the state and in the minds of student community, he said.

The police today identified Acharya as an active member of the ABVP having direct connection with the RSS leaders in the district.