Tapas Pal’s remark pains Mamata Banerjee, MP apologises

Kolkata/New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee believes her MP Tapas Pal had made a “big blunder”.

In a damage-control exercise, the TMC leadership sought an immediate unconditional apology from Mr Pal, but this did not bring down the clamour for his immediate arrest and the cancellation of his Lok Sabha membership.

CPM MP Sitaram Yechury said the party will move a privilege motion in Parliament against Tapas Pal, as the National Commission for Women sought criminal action against him. It said it will write to the President, Prime Minister and West Bengal CM seeking the termination of his Lok Sabha membership.

Cracking the whip, the Union home ministry on Tuesday asked the West Bengal government to send it a report with the full facts of the case.

All political parties, including the CPIM, BJP and the Congress, as well as civil society figures have made it clear that a mere apology is not enough. Their unanimous opinion is that Mr Pal deserves to be punished for his hate speech.

Mr Pal’s effigies were burnt and FIRs are being filed in different police stations, including at Nakashipara in Nadia, where he made the inflammatory spee-ch that sent shockwaves across the country.