Mamata's nephew TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee files defamation suit against Amit Shah

Trinamool Youth Congress chief Abhishek Banerjee, nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, filed a defamation suit against Amit Shah today, alleging that the BJP president has made slanderous statements against him at a public rally on August 11 in Kolkata.

Abhishek Banerjee, also a Trinamool Congress MP, appeared before the eighth bench of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Kolkata and filed written submission, claiming Shah has made defamatory statements against him.The eighth metropolitan magistrate directed him to issue notice to Shah. The court said the criminal defamation suit moved by Abhishek Banerjee will be taken up for hearing on September 28. On August 13, 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 to Shah said, "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. "Since, it is well known that my client is the nephew of Smt. Mamata Banerjee and is actively involved in politics, the contents of your speech left little to the imagination of my client's well-wishers that you were referring to my client." Abhishek Banerjee's lawyer Sanjay Basu claimed the "false statements" against his client has caused grave loss and prejudice to his client's reputation.

Basu said his client "denies the allegation that he is involved in any purported diversion of public and/or government funds to the tune of Rs 3,59,000 crore or any other sum purportedly allotted from the Centre to the State of West Bengal." He has sought that Shah desist from making or circulating defamatory statements causing publication of the same in any media against his client.