New Town, Nov 10 — Reacting to Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi's challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a debate, West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh on Tuesday said the Congress leader makes such statements to remain relevant in the political discourse.
This comes a day after Gandhi launched a fresh attack on Prime Minister Modi, renewing his challenge to debate him on who was an anti-national and who was controlled by foreign forces, saying the debate could take place "any time, any place".
Gandhi's remarks came a day after PM Modi, during his visit to Chhattisgarh's Bastar on Sunday, alleged that ideological supporters of the Naxal movement, whom he described as "dimagi Naxals", had infiltrated political parties and various organisations to instigate people against the Constitution and democracy.
Speaking to reporters, Ghosh said, "Rahul Gandhi makes such statements to stay relevant. He disappears for two to four months and then suddenly returns with statements to get media attention. These statements have no impact on the public. Such remarks are meaningless."
Reacting to the arrest of Trinamool Congress MLA Paresh Ram Das, the minister said that several elected representatives, including MLAs, MPs and even ministers, had been arrested in the past.
"Several MLAs, MPs and even ministers have been arrested in the past. Many leaders are also in jail, and they are all criminals. Numerous complaints have been filed against them. Since they were in power, no action was taken. In cases involving such serious crimes, there should be an investigation, and appropriate action should also be taken," he said.
Ghosh also reacted to the Delhi Police visit to the residence of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, saying that allegations against anyone should be investigated irrespective of their position.
"Regardless of who is involved, any allegations against them must be investigated by the government and the police," he said.
Delhi Police on Monday visited Mamata Banerjee's Kolkata residence and served her a notice under Section 160 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) in connection with a 2013 case registered at Delhi's Parliament Street Police Station.
A police personnel from the Parliament Street Police Station reached Mamata Banerjee's residence at 30B, Harish Chatterjee Street, in Kalighat, and served the notice.
Importantly, Banerjee has not been summoned as an accused in the case. She has been called as a witness or a person having knowledge of the incident, with the police seeking her statement to take the 13-year-old case forward.