Anil Basu threatens to file defamation against Biman

The former seven-time party MP, flanked by his wife Sabita, issued an open letter at a press conference slamming Bose for suspending him from the party "without showing any justified and valid reason which amounts to defamation."

"We presume there is no valid reason for insulting a senior leader like Anil Basu who was unduly attacked by a party which he served to the best of his ability for all these years," the letter said.

"Anil Basu's integrity is beyond question," Sabita Basu said adding that if ever Anil Basu would refrain from filing a defamation suit "I'll do that as it was an insult to our family."

Anil Basu said he would not like to stay in the party anymore.

Basu, who gathered a poor image by passing lewd comments against Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee during the last Assembly elections campaign, was also recently excluded in the newly-formed CPI(M) state committee and later suspended from the party for three months reasons of which were not disclosed to the media.

Outbursts of Basu came in the wake of strong criticism of the party leadership by maverick Marxist leader and former minister Abdur Rezzak Mollah particularly after the party refused to include him in the state secretariat.

Resentment was also expressed by former minister Ashok Bhattacharya with the party denying him a berth in the state secretariat.

Meanwhile, former minister and CPI(M)'s Hooghly district secretary Sudarshan Roychowdhury chided Anil Basu for openly criticising party leadership and said that party discipline should be maintained.