Substantiate 'goon' remark with proof else will drag you to court: Mamata's nephew to PM Modi

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew and TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have to substantiate statements made by him while addressing a rally in Diamond Harbour on May 15, with proof.

Abhishek on Saturday sent a defamation notice to Modi for the alleged derogatory remarks made against him at a public rally on May 15 in Diamond Harbour.

"Whatever he (Prime Minister) said in meeting on May 15 in Diamond Harbour, he has to substantiate those statements with ample proof and justify what he said. If he fails to do so I will sue him in the criminal and defamation cases. I will drag him to the court and do the needful," Banerjee told reporters.

Dubbing all the allegations against Abhishek as "slanderous, malicious and false," Banerjee's lawyer Sanjay Basu on May 18 said, "In your speech, you referred to my client as a 'Gunda' or 'goon'. Such statements, other than being attempts to deceive the public through rhetoric, are hardly appropriate for a person holding your position. My client denies all your claims and challenges you to provide proof of such deliberate misstatements."

In the letter, the lawyer also stated that Prime Minister Modi threatened to lock Abhishek's office after the results of Lok Sabha elections are announced.

Addressing a rally in Diamond Harbour on May 15, Prime Minister Modi hit out at Chief Minister Banerjee for her 'anarchist behaviour' in the state and said her nephew Abhishek Banerjee's office will be 'locked' up soon after the results of Lok Sabha polls.

"After election results, Didi's nephew office will be locked. I was told that his office, as per Trinamool Congress (TMC) tradition, was built after occupying the public road. Didi, your party has earned a lot by 'tolabaaji' (extortion), at least do not occupy public roads for the construction of nephew's office," he said.