He accused Adhikari of attempting to target Banerjee personally after failing to challenge her politically.
Banerjee contested the 2021 West Bengal assembly election from Nandigram as the TMC candidate, taking on Adhikari, who had left the TMC and joined the BJP before the polls.
During the campaign, Banerjee was seen with her leg in a plaster and using a wheelchair after reporting an injury. She later lost the Nandigram contest to Adhikari by fewer than 2,000 votes.
Banerjee subsequently contested a bypoll from Bhabanipur in south Kolkata, won the seat and continued as chief minister for a third consecutive term.
While Ghosh defended Banerjee, expelled TMC legislator Ritabrata Banerjee, associated with the party’s “rebel but majority” faction, mocked the former chief minister over the controversy.
Ritabrata said Banerjee should receive a special award for what he described as her ability to “hoodwink” the public. He also sarcastically suggested that the state government organise an award ceremony for her at Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground.
Adhikari, meanwhile, said the state administration would conduct a separate inquiry into what he alleged was Banerjee’s false claim about the injury.
The controversy has revived political sparring over Banerjee’s 2021 Nandigram campaign and the circumstances surrounding her reported leg injury. The competing claims over the radiodiagnosis report have not been independently established.
With IANS inputs
