Days after he was warned by his party against discussing internal issues publicly, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Madan Mitra Thursday announced that he would be deactivating his social media accounts till June 30 following orders from the party brass.
Mitra has a large following on social media and hosts Facebook live sessions frequently.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, Mitra wrote: “I am deactivating my Facebook and Instagram accounts from today till June 30. There has not been any complaint against me to Facebook authorities by anyone. There is also no waning of my popularity in social media. My TRP, instead, is on the rise. But I am quitting this platform as I have been asked by the higher authority to leave Facebook for some time. I will definitely obey the order.”
The move comes in the wake of the warning issued by TMC Secretary General Partha Chatterjee last week, who had asked party leaders to refrain from making public statements and social media posts if they have any grievances against the party. Chatterjee also said that party leaders were welcome to approach the party’s disciplinary committee to get them resolved.
Reacting to Chatterjee’s appeal to the party leaders, Mitra took a dig at him during one of his live sessions. Mitra had said, “We cannot go to the CM’s office on Harish Chatterjee Street because of the security. Abhishek is so busy that ordinary workers like us cannot reach him. The party office is under construction. I am not speaking against the party. But if I have something to say, who will I tell? If he (Partha Chatterjee) tells me to come to the constable on the floor of his house, I will come there.”
Following such remarks, Sources in the party said that Mitra was asked by TMC’s disciplinary committee to stay off social media for the time being.
