'Abhishek running parallel administration in Bengal': BJP's Malviya on 'clashes' in TMC

Amid reports of an alleged rift between leaders of the Trinamool Congress, BJP's Amit Malviya took direct potshots at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday, accusing him of running a parallel administration in his Diamond Harbour constituency.

TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee recently came up with the 'Diamond Harbour Model' to contain the spread of COVID-19 in West Bengal. The move drew ire from a section of older party leaders, who openly criticized him for trying to undermine the efforts of the state government.

Embarrassed over the war of words between the two camps, the TMC leadership cracked the whip and asked the leaders not to air their views in public fora without prior permission from the party. 

Taking a dig at the mudslinging in the ruling party, BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya has repeatedly claimed that there is a rift between TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek, the de facto number two in the TMC hierarchy.

He took to Twitter and said, “Instead of incessantly writing to the PM, Mamata Banerjee must check on the parallel Government being run from Diamond Harbour."

Malviya, who is also the co-in-charge of the BJP in Bengal, was referring to the letter written by CM Mamata Banerjee to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Centre’s rejection of the state’s tableau from the Republic Day parade in New Delhi. Malviya targeted Abhishek over the COVID-19 updates of tests and positivity rate in Diamond Harbour shared by him in the last few days

“After WB Health Department ran down Abhishek’s claims, a daily update on his constituency is sent to media to highlight how poor Covid management in rest of the state is!” he said further. 

'Diamond Harbour Model' kicks off inner-party debate

Abhishek Banerjee's 'Diamond Harbour model' implies a maximum number of tests on a single day, strict implementation of COVID safety protocol, banning all political, social and religious meetings until the end of February, a dedicated control room and WhatsApp number for every panchayat and municipality, isolation centres, doctors on call and doctor and health staff-on-wheels facility.

On January 12, the TMC MP had written on social media that more than 53,000 COVID tests were conducted in his constituency while reporting a positivity rate of 2.31% which is in sharp contrast to the average testing figure of 65,000 to 70,000 across the state. 

Although most party leaders have come out in support of Banerjee's model, a section of party leaders have openly criticized it for being "blown out of proportion". Sensing that the mudslinging by the party leaders was sending out a wrong message, the TMC top brass was quick to step in and crack the whip.

Image: ANI