West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Saturday took strong exception to senior party colleague Anil Basu using abusive language against Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee at an election meeting on Friday.
The Trinamool leadership has demanded the arrest of Mr. Basu, leader of the Communist Party of India(Marxist) from Hooghly district.
The Chief Minister said he had told his party colleagues to caution Mr. Basu right away against using such language in future. “It is unpardonable; it is unimaginable that such words are being uttered by a communist leader,” he said.
“I do not want to hear such words being spoken again,” Mr. Bhattacharjee said.
Biman Bose, chairman of the Left Front Committee and CPI(M) State Secretary, said a report had been sought on the utterances of Mr. Basu, a former seven-time MP from Arambagh. Neither the party nor the Front endorsed the remark and Mr. Basu was cautioned.
Meanwhile, Trinamool secretary-general Partha Chatterjee complained to the Election Commission about the unsavoury remark made by Mr. Basu.
“For the language used yesterday [Friday] against a lady and the manner in which he attacked her, the CPI(M) leader should not be allowed outside jail for a minute more.”
Mr. Chatterjee said, “He has violated the model of conduct of the Election Commission by his provocative and derogatory remarks.”
