Suvendu serves defamation notice to CM Mamata over 'coal money' jibe, demands proof within 72 hours

Suvendu Adhikari served a formal legal notice for defamation to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday. The move comes in response to Banerjee’s recent public allegations linking Adhikari and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to a multi-crore coal smuggling syndicate. The notice described the Chief Minister’s statements as "reckless, baseless, and maliciously intended" to malign his client’s reputation ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.

The notice specifically highlights remarks made by the Chief Minister on January 8 and 9, where she claimed to possess "pen drives and documents" as evidence of corruption. Beyond the financial allegations, Adhikari has expressed deep offense at the personal nature of the attacks, including the use of "lewd innuendos" and the term "adopted child" to describe him. The legal document asserts that such language is unbecoming of a constitutional head of state and aims to divert public attention from the ongoing ED investigation into I-PAC.

In a direct challenge to the TMC supremo, the legal notice gives Mamata Banerjee a 72-hour window to furnish complete particulars of the purported evidence she claims to hold. Adhikari has warned that failure to disclose this information within the stipulated time will result in the initiation of both civil and criminal proceedings. He emphasized that the Chief Minister’s actions appear to be a "sinister design" to intimidate opposition leaders and interfere with the independent functioning of central investigative agencies.