‘Joined TMC out of fear of Abhishek Banerjee’: Ex-minority cell leader

Former Trinamool Congress Minority Cell secretary Mohammed Ajmal Siddique has levelled serious allegations against the party leadership, claiming he was compelled to join the ruling outfit out of fear of Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.

Days after resigning from both his party post and primary membership, Siddique alleged that political pressure and intimidation left him with little choice but to align with the Mamata Banerjee-led party.

“I joined the party because I was afraid of Abhishek Banerjee,” Siddique said in an interview, claiming that it was impossible to conduct business or social work in West Bengal without political backing from the Trinamool Congress.

Recalling events from 2015-16, Siddique alleged that businessman Binoy Mishra, acting on behalf of Abhishek Banerjee, demanded money from him. “I did not pay, and false cases were filed against me. I had to secure bail from the high court and the Supreme Court,” he claimed.

Siddique further alleged that a culture of fear and centralised control had weakened the party. “Even for routine work, we had to go through his personal assistant. We were not allowed to meet him directly,” he said, accusing Abhishek Banerjee of running the organisation in a “dictatorial” manner.

At the same time, Siddique drew a distinction between Abhishek Banerjee and former chief minister Mamata Banerjee, describing the latter as a “fighter” who was primarily focused on governance.

“Didi is a very good and fighting lady. But due to the pressure of Abhishek Banerjee, the party has suffered. I-PAC and Abhishek Banerjee have destroyed the party,” he alleged.

The former TMC leader also claimed that Muslims were used merely as a vote bank and said his role in the Minority Cell carried little real authority. “The post was only for show. No work was done; only promises were made,” he said.

Siddique additionally alleged that “cut money” played a significant role in the party's functioning and claimed that community-focused initiatives were often sidelined.

Signalling a possible shift towards the BJP, Siddique praised Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and expressed confidence that he would work for people irrespective of religion.

“If given an opportunity, I will definitely join,” Siddique said when asked about the possibility of joining the BJP.

The Trinamool Congress has not yet responded publicly to Siddique's allegations.

With IANS inputs