Bengal MP complains of getting threats for protesting against coal smuggling

Kolkata: Dibyendu Adhikari, two-time Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP and younger brother of leader of opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, alleged on Saturday that he is receiving life threats over phone for raising his voice against coal smuggling in the Haldia Dock Complex which comes under his constituency in East Midnapore district.

Adhikari levelled the allegations on the the same day his father and three-time Lok Sabha MP, Sisir Kumar Adhikari, wrote to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman about a fictitious bank account opened in his name without his knowledge at a public sector bank in the district.

Although both Sisir Adhikari and Dibyendu Adhikari continue to be Trinamool Congress MPs as per Lok Sabha records, their connection with the party snapped since Suvendu Adhikari joined the BJP from the Trinamool before the 2021 Assembly polls.

On Saturday, Dibyendu Adhikari told mediapersons that late on January 24 night, a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) assistant commandant was injured in clashes with coal smugglers operating in the dock area in Haldia.

“As the local Lok Sabha member, I informed the matter to Home Minister Amit Shah. I also raised my voice demanding greater coordination between the CISF and the local police to check the menace of coal smuggling in the dock area. Since then, I have been receiving regular threat calls on my mobile,” he said.

However, Adhikari added that he is not scared by the threat calls.

“I will continue doing my duty as Tamluk MP as long as I continue in that chair,” he said.

However, Adhikari said that he has not filoed an official complaint with the local police on this count.

“I had approached the local police on many issues before, but the problems were not solved. So what is the point in informing the police on this matter,” he asked.

Trinamool Rajya Sabha member Santanu Sen said that levelling such ‘wild’ allegations without informing the police is meaningless.

“He should come clean first on his current political stand. He has maintained liaison with the BJP while continuing as a Trinamool member officially. Why didn’t he resign first as an MP,” Sen asked.