Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee has been promoted to General Secretary of his party (File)
Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee - newly promoted as General Secretary - took a swipe at the BJP Monday over its use of the "dynasty" tag in attacks on him and criticised the opposition for its use of "agencies and muscle power" in campaigning for the April-May election that they lost.
He mocked them for being "rattled" by his appointment and not practicing what they preached ; he said they hadn't passed a law on "dynastic politics" because they were "importing dynastic turncoats".
"You ran a campaign on 'dynasty'. People gave you an answer. I want to tell the BJP... sometimes a dynasty is better than being nasty," Mr Banerjee said, referring to a campaign littered with crass comments and sexist swipes.
He also slammed the BJP for "using muscle power and agencies like CBI and Enforcement Directorate... and even politicised the Election Commission" in efforts to beat the Trinamool.
"This was a fight between Mamata Banerjee and Narendra Modi (and) Bengal has given an answer. Several states were looking at this. People of Bengal have given India hope," Mr Banerjee said.
The Trinamool leader also indicated the BJP's challenges had led to the second Covid wave - a reference to voting drawn out over eight phases and packed rallies held by both sides.
"They used agencies, muscle power and used Enforcement Directorate, CBI etc... even politicised Election Commission. We fought all these challenges and the Trinamool won 213 seats. People have said there is no alternative to Mamata Banerjee..." he said.
Abhishek Banerjee - who is Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew - was named the Trinamool's General Secretary yesterday, in a move widely seen as reward for having played a key role in planning the party's emphatic win over the BJP in the April-May Assembly election.
A vocal voice during campaigning, he was targeted by senior BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, with cries of "tolabaj bhaipo", or "extortionist nephew", as they doubled down on accusations of nepotism and nepotism-linked corruption.
A furious Mr Banerjee responded saying he would "walk to the gallows if found guilty on any charge". He also mocked the BJP for criticising 'dynastic politics' but refusing to pass laws against it, saying that was because their own leaders were guilty of the charge.
At today's press conference Mr Banerjee dared the BJP to pass a law banning 'dynasties' in politics.
"You import dynastic turncoats. If you bring a bill, I will be the first to resign..." he said.
He also took a swipe at governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, who continued his long-running feud with the Trinamool by exchanging barbs with Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra on Sunday and today.
"You are a governor, you cannot differentiate between BJP and Trinamool. You have started attacking the Chief Minister within hours of her taking oath. This is not done," he said, referring to a series of tweets over the past days attacking Ms Banerjee for "retributive post-poll violence".