Mamata Banerjee meets Sudip Bandyopadhyay, says he’s scarred

BHUBANESWAR: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee met her senior party MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay and said the four-month-old custody had left him “mentally and physically traumatized”. Speaking to reporters outside Apollo Hospitals, she said, “He was weeping profusely. He has lost 17-18 kilograms. His heart rate is fluctuating. I believe justice will be done.” Banerjee said she gave her workaholic party colleague a notebook to pen down the pain he is enduring.
A CBI court on Tuesday allowed her to meet Bandyopadhyay and Tapas Pal, the MP and actor.“I want to thank the judiciary for allowing me to meet my parliamentary party leader,” she said. Bandyopadhyay and Pal have been undergoing treatment at the private hospital since February 8. They were shifted from Jharpada special jail to the hospital after they complained of illness. “Since the accused are still in judicial custody, we received the court’s order to allow the West Bengal CM to meet the MPs in hospital,” ADG (prisons) Arun Kumar Roy told TOI. Sources said two police constables and a CBI officer were present when she met the duo at the hospital. “They will get justice. We will wait for justice,” she said. “I have advised doctors to take care of him and asked Sudip Da to have food in time,” she said.
Banerjee, who took a 7 pm flight to Bhubaneswar, told reporters at Bhubaneswar airport that she would like to meet Odhisa CM Naveen Patnaik and visit Jagannath Temple in Puri. “I met Naveen ji in New Delhi a few days back. If time permits I would like to meet him,” she said. From airport, she drove to the hospital to meet the MPs. She will stay overnight at a Puri circuit house. She is likely to leave on Thursday.
Before her scheduled visit to the Jagannath Temple, police detained at least four priests after they threatened to stop her access to the 12th century shrine. The priests said they are angry over her alleged remark supporting consumption of beef. “We came to know from media reports that she supports cow slaughter. In July 2016 she had said consumption of beef is not wrong. It indicates she consumes beef. We will not allow her to enter the temple,” said Somanath Khuntia, one of the detained priests who is the secretary of Sri Jagannath Sevayat Sammilani, an association of some temple priests.
“We detained Khuntia and some members of his association to ensure smooth visit of the Bengal chief minister to Jagannath Temple. Since she is provided Z-Plus protection and was declared a state guest, we have arranged adequate security,” Puri SP Sarthak Sarangi said. Police claimed the exact time of Mamata’s scheduled visit to the temple is not known. “She will tell us the time after reaching Puri,” he added.
Sri Jagannath Sevayat Sammilani general secretary Kasinath Khuntia said Mamata will not face opposition during her visit. “The reaction of Somanath is purely in his personal capacity. Our association does not endorse his personal remark,” he said. “We should not stop her. If at all Mamata supported beef consumption, she should beg apology before the deity,” said Ramakrushna Dasmohapatra, a senior servitor.