More trouble for Mamata: FIR against ex-Bengal CM over 'inflammatory' speech

NEW DELHI: An FIR has been registered against former West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee over a speech she allegedly delivered at a rally in Kolkata earlier this year. According to news agency ANI, police sources said the FIR was registered on June 7 at 3.45 pm and has been lodged under Sections 196(1), 351(2) and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). According to the complaint filed by Tushar Kanti Das, Banerjee's speech at the Dharna Mancha near Metro Channel in Esplanade (Dharmatala) on March 9 allegedly contained misleading remarks aimed at provoking a breach of peace, disturbing public tranquillity and affecting communal harmony. The complainant also alleged that the speech posed a threat to the state's democratic framework. Police said the investigation is currently at a preliminary stage. A senior officer quoted by ANI said that authorities have received the complaint and registered the case in accordance with legal procedure. “We have received the complaint, and a case has been registered in accordance with legal procedure. All aspects of the speech and the context in which it was delivered are being thoroughly examined,” the officer said. TMC terms case politically motivated The FIR has added to the political tensions in West Bengal following the recent assembly election results. Opposition parties have welcomed the registration of the case, describing it as necessary to uphold the rule of law and electoral standards. The TMC, however, has termed the FIR “politically motivated” and alleged that it is part of continued attempts to target the party leadership. The complaint comes at a time when the TMC is facing a major internal crisis. The party has been grappling with a rebellion by a section of its MPs following its defeat in the West Bengal assembly elections. TMC faces growing internal dissent Purported signatures of 19 TMC MPs recently surfaced on a communication to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking recognition of a separate parliamentary bloc under Barasat MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and extending support to the BJP-led NDA. The authenticity of the signatures could not be independently verified. However, sources in the dissident camp claimed that the lawmakers had informed the Speaker about forming a separate parliamentary group while retaining a distinct political identity. The developments followed an earlier revolt within the state assembly, where 58 of the TMC's 80 MLAs reportedly backed expelled legislator Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of the Opposition instead of the party's official nominee. In response to the crisis, Mamata Banerjee had dissolved all party committees and announced a revamped organisational structure on June 5. With the police probe into the FIR now underway and internal dissent continuing to challenge the party leadership, the political spotlight remains firmly on Banerjee and the future direction of the TMC.