TMC unsettled by Amit Shah's campaign: BJP on defamation suit against him

With TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee filing a defamation suit against Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the BJP on Friday said this indicates that the ruling party in West Bengal has been "unsettled" by Shah's campaign in the poll-bound state.

The Trinamool Congress is trying to prevent Shah and other BJP leaders from campaigning in the state, BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli claimed.

"This indicates that the TMC leadership is unsettled by the BJP's campaigning in general and Amit Shah's in particular which is resonating with the public. That is why they are constantly resorting to diversionary tactics to somehow try and prevent him and other BJP leaders from campaigning," he said.

Earlier in the day, a designated MP/MLA court in West Bengal issued summons to Shah to appear either personally or through a lawyer before it on February 22 in connection with a defamation case lodged against him by Abhishek Banerjee, nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

In a press note, Abhishek Banerjee's lawyer Sanjay Basu claimed that Shah had made certain defamatory statements against the TMC MP on August 11, 2018 at a BJP rally at Mayo Road in Kolkata.

Elections to the 294-seat West Bengal assembly are expected to be held in April-May.