Kolkata: Amidst reports of corruption, nepotism and infighting in the party, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Saturday warned party leaders of stern action saying that it would not be tolerated.
Addressing a party meeting, Banerjee said that corrupt practices, nepotism, promoting buildings and activities such as filling up of ponds by party leaders and workers were bringing the party into disrepute.
"Why should our party earn a bad name for the acts of a few? Those involved in such activities will not be spared," party insiders quoting Banerjee at the close door meeting said.
Reports of infighting in the party had been received from 10 to 12 places, Banerjee said the latest being Hooghly district where Tourism minister Rachpal Singh`s car was ransacked. Asking party workers and leaders to prove that the Trinamool Congress was different from the CPI(M), Banerjee said no infighting or groupism would be tolerated in the party.
Union and state ministers, councillors, panchayat leaders, MPs and MLAs, attended the meeting presided over by party secretary-general Partha Chatterjee.
Talking tough against raising of funds in the name of the Trinamool Congress, Banerjee said, "raising subscription by citing instances of celebrating Tagore or Nazrul will not be tolerated."
The Trinamool chief alleged that concerted attempts were being made to defame her party by sending SMS and asked party workers to be careful about this trend.
Quoting her, the insiders said that Banerjee defended her government`s circular on newspapers that state-sponsored and aided libraries could keep and said that the move was taken to promote small newspapers. "She was strongly against exaggerated reports in a section of the media intended to malign her government," they said.
Banerjee also urged her party leaders to gear up for the panchayat polls next year.
The party`s all-India general secretary and Railway Minister Mukul Roy said that Banerjee discussed future plans about the party.
Asked if there would be any alliance with the Congress in coming panchayat polls, Roy said "it depends on the situation."
Asked about Congress leader Adhir Choudhury, MP, asserting during the day that the Congress would contest the panchayat elections alone in his home district Murshidabad, Roy said "I don`t want to make any comment.
"But we know that Congress` decision is taken by Sonia Gandhi... like Mamata Banerjee of our party."
To a question, he said that former railway minister Dinesh Trivedi, besides Somen Mitra, MP, were absent at the meeting.
"Most party MPs attended the meeting. Those who could not, gave prior intimation that they would not be able to make it," he said.
He alleged that the party was facing opposition from a section of the media, but denied allegations that the state government was out to curb the right of the media.
"We have not created any hurdle in the way of the media`s production and distribution," he said.
Roy said that like previous years, Trinamool Congress would organise a large rally at the Brigade Parade Ground here on July 21.
He said that it was decided that a month-long campaign would be launched from May 10 to highlight achievements of the state government.
PTI