KOLKATA: A ruling Trinamool Congress MLA has threatened to chop off the wrists of alleged land-sharks attempting to grab a playground in his assembly constituency in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district. Kamarhati MLA Madan Mitra, however, later apologised for the comment. The former state sports minister claimed that some people owing allegiance to his party were trying to construct an apartment complex on Meghnad Math in Belgharia area.
"Some criminals are trying to do illegal construction on the playground, which I, along with local MP Saugata Roy, was planning to beautify. KMC’s environment department stepped in to stop land sharks from filling up a pond in the Mukundapur locality. Civic officials who rushed to the spot after getting an anonymous tip-off lodged an FIR with Purba Jadavpur police and also put up a notice, warning stern action against the land grabbers.
The names of three people are recurringly cropping up. They are under my surveillance. I will lodge an FIR, and if the police don't take action, I will launch a people's movement to save the ground.
"If they think they can threaten or buy me, they are wrong. This is my last warning to them. If they dare even lay a finger on the ground, I will sever their wrists from their hands. If needed, I will go to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and tell her how some people are misusing the party's name," Mitra said in a Facebook post.
Naihati TMC MLA Partha Bhowmick supported Mitra, saying that being a "mass leader", the former minister was pained at attempts to take away the rights of children to the playground.
"However, he shouldn't have used words as severing someone's wrist from hand," Bhowmick told reporters.
Responding to Bhowmick, Mitra, in another Facebook post, apologised for the words but not for the intent. "I withdraw such words as I understand that we are the ruling party and we should show some restraint but such people only understand such language. The land-sharks in Belgharia are more dangerous than those in Bhowmick's constituency.”
