The political atmosphere in Jalpaiguri has turned volatile following a defamation complaint filed against TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee. The complaint was lodged by BJP’s Jalpaiguri Sadar candidate, Anantadeb Adhikari, at the Kotwali Police Station after Banerjee allegedly labeled him a “characterless drunkard” during a public rally.

Addressing a gathering on Tuesday, Abhishek Banerjee had targeted Adhikari, claiming that the BJP candidate remains intoxicated for half the day and misbehaves with women. Refuting these allegations, Adhikari, who is also a practicing lawyer, stated that these comments were intentionally made to tarnish his reputation and incite hatred among voters.

The BJP had initially served a 24-hour ultimatum to Banerjee to apologize, which went unheeded. Consequently, a formal complaint under several sections has been registered. The BJP legal cell further stated that this is a clear violation of the Model Code of Conduct, and they are escalating the matter to the Election Commission of India.