Kolkata
oi-Ashish Rana
The internal turmoil within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has taken a fresh turn after Baidyanath Ghosh Dastidar, son of rebel TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, issued a legal notice to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and several senior party leaders over statements allegedly linking him to the ongoing political rebellion within the party.
Baidyanath Ghosh Dastidar, son of TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, has issued a legal notice to Mamata Banerjee and senior leaders, denying claims he sought an MLA ticket from Barasat and alleging defamation regarding his mother’s dissent.
A psychiatrist by profession, Baidyanath has accused TMC leaders of making defamatory claims suggesting that he had sought an MLA ticket from the Barasat Assembly constituency and that the denial of such a ticket prompted his mother’s dissent against the party leadership.
Legal Notice Targets Top TMC Leadership
The legal notice has been sent to Mamata Banerjee along with prominent TMC leaders including Mahua Moitra, Kalyan Banerjee, Sougata Roy and Sonali Guha. It comes at a time when Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar is at the forefront of a rebellion involving several TMC MPs, exposing growing cracks within the party.
On Sunday, Baidyanath publicly challenged remarks made by Mahua Moitra, who had allegedly suggested that his mother was lobbying for an Assembly ticket on his behalf.
Responding to the claim, Baidyanath wrote on social media: “100 % lies . disagreements should be fought politically, not by dragging private individuals and family members into the dispute. I reserve my legal rights.”
The controversy has further intensified an already tense political atmosphere within the ruling party.
Baidyanath Claims IPAC Encouraged Him to Contest
The legal notice, titled “Cease and Desist Notice regarding False, Defamatory and Unwarranted References to Dr. Baidyanath Ghosh Dastidar”, strongly rejects allegations that he ever sought a political nomination from the Barasat constituency.
Instead, the notice claims that representatives associated with IPAC, the political consultancy firm that worked with the TMC, had approached him and encouraged him to consider entering electoral politics.
According to the document, Baidyanath was contacted multiple times by individuals connected to the party’s local organisational structure.
“According to my client’s instructions, Mr. Sohom Pal, then associated with the Barasat District TMCP, contacted him on multiple occasions through WhatsApp and encouraged him to contest elections,” the notice reads.
The document also highlights Baidyanath’s professional credentials, describing him as a psychiatrist who has trained and worked at Massachusetts General Hospital affiliated with Harvard University in Boston, as well as the Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust in the United Kingdom.
Demand for Retraction and Public Apology
The notice demands that all individuals named retract what it describes as false and defamatory statements regarding Baidyanath. It further seeks a public clarification and apology within 15 days from the date of issuance.
According to the notice, failure to comply with the demand could result in civil and criminal proceedings, along with any other legal remedies available under the law.
The legal communication argues that repeated suggestions linking Baidyanath’s alleged political ambitions to his mother’s rebellion have harmed his reputation and wrongly dragged a private citizen into a political dispute.
No Response Yet From TMC Leadership
Despite the seriousness of the allegations, neither Mamata Banerjee nor any of the other leaders named in the notice have publicly responded so far.
The development adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing unrest within the TMC, where differences among MPs have increasingly spilled into the public domain. With legal action now being threatened, the confrontation between the rebel camp and the party leadership appears set to intensify in the coming days.
