'You Wish Me a Heart Attack, I’ll Live to See Your End': Mamata Banerjee Hits Out at BJP After Madan Mitra Defects to TMC Rebel Camp

In a high-stakes political development that has sent shockwaves through Bengal, Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee has launched a blistering attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Her fierce response comes on the heels of a major blow: veteran MLA Madan Mitra has officially jumped ship to the rebel camp.

Refusing to back down, a defiant Mamata made her stance clear. "Those who want to go can go," she declared, sending a direct and uncompromising message to her political opponents. In an emotionally charged statement, the Bengal Chief Minister accused her rivals of wishing for her demise.

"BJP wished for me to get a heart attack, I will live till I see your end," said Mamata.

The Defection That Triggered the Storm

On Wednesday, Madan Mitra officially switched his allegiance from Mamata's camp to the rebel faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee. Downplaying the gravity of his defection, Mitra remarked that he had "only changed my room in the Assembly." Mitra revealed that his decision to quit the TMC stemmed from a rejected ultimatum. He had demanded that the party’s national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, "step aside for six months"—a condition the party leadership refused to meet.

Reacting to the exit, senior TMC leader Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay expressed his grief but pointed to external pressures. "...I am sad that he had to leave us and go. There was no need for him to quit. But they summoned his son and wife. So, he must have lost his mental strength and had to quit," Chattopadhyay remarked.

'Abhishek Has Become an Excuse': Mamata Defends Her Nephew

Addressing Mitra's departure during a Facebook Live session, Mamata Banerjee fiercely defended Abhishek Banerjee. She argued that Abhishek has merely become a convenient target for internal defectors and external adversaries. According to her, Mitra's exit was triggered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summoning his wife and two sons on Tuesday, rather than any actions by Abhishek.

Praising Abhishek for standing his ground despite continuous summons targeting his family, including a past summons to his wife while carrying a one-and-a-half-year-old child, the TMC chief lauded his resilience. "Abhishek Banerjee has been turned into an excuse. His family members were summoned. Had he wanted, he could have got relief. But he did not run away from the battlefield. The way he has continued to fight, all his flaws have been forgiven," she said.

Mamata pointed out that Abhishek is preparing for a long political journey. "The reason is, they will do politics for 50 years in the future," she added, telling critics not to worry about her own age either: "A person's mind creates a person's age."

'I Haven't Sold My Conscience': A Firebrand Attack on Defectors

Slamming those who have crossed over to the rebel camp, Mamata offered a public apology for their actions while accusing them of cowardice. "I apologise before the people on behalf of the traitors. I have not sold my 'bibek' (conscience) for political survival."

She claimed that those who compromised did so to protect themselves from central investigative agencies, mockingly referring to the rebel faction as a "setting company" and a "washing machine" that turns tainted politicians into saintly men. "Had I compromised, we would not have faced so much torture. Those who have compromised have many bags and luggage of their own," she noted, suggesting that defecting leaders carried too much political "baggage" to withstand central pressure.

Mamata went on to accuse the BJP of using police forces and central agencies to systematically dismantle her party. She claimed local police officers were acting as BJP political agents. "The IC (Inspector-in-Charge) has now become the BJP block president, and the SPs (Superintendents of Police) have become the BJP district president," she charged, alleging that they are actively threatening active workers, municipalities, and panchayats with jail time if they do not defect.

"We still have 18 MPs in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Those Parliamentarians who have joined the 'setting company' have done so because they are afraid of the police," she claimed.

'Birla Planetarium Chalo': The July 21 Rally

Looking ahead, Mamata focused on the upcoming July 21 Shaheed Tarpan (Martyrs' Day) program. Despite initially being denied permission by the local administration, the TMC secured a legal victory.

"In the verdict of the Honorable Court, this government has not given us permission. In the verdict of the Honorable Court, the gathering will be from 11 AM at Birla Planetarium," she announced, urging supporters to gather peacefully from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM under the slogan "Birla Planetarium Chalo" or "Kolkata Chalo."

Anticipating administrative hurdles, Mamata issued a stern warning against any attempts to disrupt the event by intimidating decorators or microphone operators.

"We can give speeches even with an empty voice... If needed, meetings will be held even while standing in rickshaws. Meetings will also be held while standing in pushcarts," she declared.

Closing her address with a call for resilience against what she termed "Hitler-like" and "Mussolini-like" oppression, Mamata concluded: "Every action has a reaction. Maybe many people are still afraid... But one day people will open their mouths. Wait for that day. Victory to India, Hail to the Motherland, Victory to Bengal. Long live Trinamool Congress."
 

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