Faced Harassment From Detractors, Support From Masses Gave Strength: TMC Leader Abhishek Banerjee

I faced unbridled harassment & targeting from my detractors. No matter how many attacks come your way, integrity will help you emerge victorious with your head held high: Abhishek Banerjee

Senior Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee, in a statement said he faced unbridled harassment from his detractors but support from the masses gave him the strength to persevere. The TMC national general secretary said on Saturday that the year was of immense learning for him. "I faced unbridled harassment and targeting from my detractors. However, the blessings of my Ma-Maati-Manush gave me the strength to persevere," the Diamond Harbour MP said in an apparent reference to CBI and ED interrogation of him several times.

"I think it has been a great learning for me that no matter how many attacks come your way, integrity will help you emerge victorious with your head held high," Banerjee added.

He said as TMC national general secretary, he made it a mission to expand the party's footprint across the country, alluding to TMC outreach drives in Goa, Meghalaya and Tripura in the last two years.

Referring to BJP-ruled Tripura, Banerjee recalled he "started the year with the blessings of Ma Tripureshwari, who gave me the strength to battle the negativity all year long." Banerjee's visit to the temple of Goddess Tripureshwari, the presiding deity of Tripura, was followed by an alleged attack on his convoy and repeated clashes between BJP and Trinamool Congress activists in the northeastern state.

"Finally, this year has also given me perspective, it has given me hope that with the right intent and spirit, a silver lining can be found amidst the darkest clouds," Banerjee said.

Notably, the de facto number two in the TMC hierarchy has repeatedly cautioned against any wrongdoing by any party leader or activist, while stressing that the party will have zero tolerance for the corrupt activities of any leader and will throw him out of the organisation.

He had also said that a "reinvented stronger Trinamool" will come up soon.

His comment assumed significance in the wake of arrest of party heavyweight Partha Chatterjee in connection with the school jobs scam. TMC's Birbhum unit chief Anubrata Mondal is also in judicial remand facing a probe by CBI in a cattle smuggling case.

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)