“Central government’s pressure has claimed so many lives. Three people died due to this pressure by the agencies. Sultan Ahmed (former TMC MP), TMC MP Prasun Banerjee’s wife passed away and now Tapas Paul,” TMC supremo said.
The West Bengal CM said that if someone violates a law, he must face action but these people were facing harassment from the Centre regularly. “People are being jailed but central agencies have not been able to prove their involvement or conclude what crime they committed. If someone commits a crime, they must face action. But we still don’t know what crime did Tapas Paul and others commit,” she said.
Renowned actor Pal -- rated as one of the biggest superstars of Bengali films in the post-Uttam Kumar era -- who also served two terms as Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP, passed away following a cardiac arrest at a Mumbai private hospital on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, the ruling TMC and the opposition BJP got engaged in political fisticuffs over Paul's death. While state minister and Trinamool leader Firhad Hakim blamed the center's 'politics of vengeance' for former Trinamool MP Paul's demise, state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh made a veiled attack on the Trinamool, saying the "deceased had to pay dearly for his association".
Paul, 61, is survived by his wife Nandini and actor-daughter Sohini, who he had gone to visit in the western metropolis late last month.
Grappling with neurological disorders and multiple other problems that had affected his speech and locomotion, Paul was admitted to the Holy Child Hospital on February 1 and put on ventilation support.
His condition improved, and the actor-politician was taken off the ventilator on February 6. However, he was put back on ventilation on Monday after his condition deteriorated suddenly. He breathed his last at 3.35 a.m. on Tuesday.
Apart from starring in a number of hit Bengali films, Paul was also the actor opposite whom noted actress Madhuri Dixit marked her debut in Bollywood in the 1984 film "Abodh" directed by Hiren Nag.
(with inputs from agencies)