Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh alleged on Tuesday that Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari held meetings with Vikas Mishra, brother of absconding Vinay Mishra, accused in cattle and coal smuggling cases, at his Nizam Palace Apartment on September 21-22 last year.
Ghosh said he dares Adhikari to file a defamation suit against him after TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s allegation that Adhikari had discussions with Vinay Mishra over the phone for which TMC claims to have an audio clip evidence.
According to party insiders, the clip is the new weapon of TMC and they will use this everywhere.
TMC general secretary Ghosh said, “See, we are ready to produce this clip in court but Abhishek Banerjee has said let Suvendu Adhikari challenge this…”
Vinay Mishra, the alleged kingpin of the coal and cattle smuggling scam, has been on the run and hiding in Vanuatu island for the past two years.
“I know a journalist who has phone records of Suvendu Adhikari speaking to Vinay Mishra eight months ago, assuring him safety. I challenge Suvendu to file a legal suit against me… I will produce that audio clip in court and let forensic tests be done to ascertain the voices,” Abhishek Banerjee had said.
Adhikari, too, responded to the allegations while addressing a political rally in Ghatal on Saturday. “Come out with the audio clip. Is this like the Sudipto Sen letter? Is my voice distorted and manipulated? No such call from my number can be found,” the BJP leader said.
The TMC also demanded a forensic test of the audio clip. Party sources said the BJP has used Vinay as a weapon against Abhishek Banerjee but the TMC is now using its full strength against Suvendu Adhikari. While the BJP is trying to project that these are “pressure tactics”, the saffron party has nothing concrete to show even as Adhikari has not denied making the phone call, the sources added.
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