TMC removes Kunal Ghosh from party’s Bengal general secretary post

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday removed former Rajya Sabha member Kunal Ghosh from the post of the party’s state general secretary and said media houses carrying his statements as the official stand of the party may invite legal action.

TMC leaders aware of the details said the action was taken because Ghosh recently made some comments in public against two Lok Sabha MPs and candidates- famous actor Deepak Adhikari, who represents Ghatal, and Sudip Bandopadhyay from the Kolkata North seat.

“Recently, Mr. Kunal Ghosh has been expressing views that do not align with those of the party. It is important to clarify that these are his personal opinions and should not be attributed to the party. Only statements issued from AITC headquarters should be considered the official position of the party,” TMC Rajya Sabha member Derek O’Brien said in a statement.

“Mr. Ghosh was previously relieved from his role as party spokesperson. Now, he has been removed from the position of General Secretary of the state organization. We urge all media outlets not to conflate his views with those of the party, as doing so may necessitate legal action,” the statement added.

After the TMC nominated Bandopadhyay, who has been representing Kolkata North since 2009, his rival Tapas Roy left the TMC and joined the BJP to contest against him. Ghosh supported Roy’s move and said he had to quit because of Bandopadhyay.

Last week, Dev told a television channel that veteran actor and the BJP’s star campaigner Mithun Chakraborty is like a “father figure” to him and he cannot use any harsh language against the latter at rallies and roadshows. Ghosh criticised Dev for taking a soft stand against Chakraborty who left the TMC and joined the BJP in 2021.

After being stripped of his portfolio, Ghosh, an accused in the Saradha chit fund case, said: “I was in the TMC, I am in the TMC and I will try to be in the TMC in future.”