By Muslim Mirror Staff
New Delhi: An MP/MLA court in West Bengal’s Bidhannagar has issued summons to Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah to appear either in person or through a lawyer on 22 February. The court has issued the direction in a defemation case filed by Mamata Banerjee’s nephew and TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee.
The special judge of MP/MLA court on Friday directed that Amit Shah is “required to appear in person/by pleader” at 10 am on that day.
“Today the learned magistrate, Special Court West Bengal (MPs and MLA’s cases) has issued a summon upon Amit Shah to appear before the learned court on 22nd February,” said a statement issued by advocate Sanjay Basu on behalf of Abhishek Banerjee.
On August 11, 2018, Shah, while speaking at the Yuva Swabhiman Samavesh Rally organised by BJP at Mayo Road in Kolkata, had reportedly said that the people of Bengal have not received money disbursed under central funds due to corruption by Trinamool Congress.
As per the submission in court, Shah had said, “The residents of the village in Bengal. Has the money reached your village? Where did it go? Where? Modi ji has sent it. Where did Rs 3,59,000 crore go? This has been gifted to the nephew and the syndicates. This has been sacrificed at the altar of corruption by the Trinamool Congress.”
On August 13, MP Abhishek Banerjee, who is also the Chief Minister’s nephew, sent a legal notice to Shah, demanding an apology from him for allegedly making defamatory statements against him. The notice sent to Shah stated, “In the course of your speech you had made various allegations against my client by making a flimsy and thinly veiled reference and/or insinuation to the ‘bhatija’ (nephew) of the Hon’ble Chief Minister of the State of West Bengal.”
Later, Abhisekh filed a criminal defamation case against Shah.