"Abhishek Banerjee has absolutely no connection with masses": Expelled TMC leader Ritabrata Banerjee

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 7 : West Bengal Leader of Opposition and expelled Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Ritabrata Banerjee on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Abhishek Banerjee, accusing him of remaining disconnected from the masses and squandering party funds by opting for chartered flights instead of using his free MP coupons.
"Abhishek Banerjee is a leader of the masses, a leader of the common people. He used to travel in a convoy of 20 cars. Though that number has decreased now, perhaps after the public gave them a sound thrashing. I don't know for sure. However, I heard yesterday from airport staff that Abhishek Banerjee took a chartered flight. He has absolutely no connection with the masses," Banerjee told ANI.
He further criticised the TMC General Secretary, saying, "The party is facing such a crisis. Business class tickets are available to you; you have free coupons as an MP. We thought that after losing the election, he would come to his senses and come down to earth a bit. But he is still floating high up like a balloon. But the public ought to know this. This is TMC's money; so many party members are facing attacks and legal cases, and money is needed to fight those cases. One should stand by those who have been attacked. If he had simply used his free coupons instead of spending, that money could have helped the party workers fighting at the grassroots level."
Ritabrata Banerjee urged Abhishek Banerjee to stop the alleged extravagance and utilise the funds for grassroots workers.
"We would urge him not to take a chartered flight, and he shouldn't squander the party funds like that; instead, he should travel using free coupons, and the funds should be utilised for the party's grassroots-level workers," he said.
Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee flew to New Delhi on Saturday amid reports of internal rift and rebellion within the party.
Expelled TMC leader and West Bengal LoP Ritabrata Banerjee, when asked if there is any threat to Abhishek Banerjee's position as leader of the TMC Parliamentary Party, said, "I am not even in Delhi; I am sitting in Kolkata. Since I am not an MP, what can I say about the parliamentary party's affairs? That said, the distance between Delhi and Kolkata isn't huge."
On question regarding the expected number of MPs who are going to break away from the party, he said, "I have no information on that. I tried calling 4-5 MPs yesterday, but unfortunately, I couldn't reach any of them. Their phones were either switched off or out of the coverage area. I did speak to a few MPs today, though not on their own phones. A close associate of mine was in Delhi and happened to meet some MPs; he handed the phone over, so I spoke to them that way. So, I don't really have a clear idea."