Union Minister Babul Supriyo has asked the Kolkata Police to address him as ‘honourable’ after the city cop termed his tweet on the arrest of one Somnath Das incorrect and aimed at spreading ‘misinformation.’
Supriyo had taken to Twitter to allege that the Kolkata Police, which reports to the state’s Trinamool Congress government, arrested a person after he posted a video ‘describing the condition of’ MR Bangur Hospital. Sharing a screenshot of what appeared to be a WhatsApp message, Supriyo wrote, “Honble @MamataOfficial banning mobiles in hospitals ‘Kind of’ proves that the Bangur Hospital video was not fake -Thank you. Now here is another detail which I bring forward as People’s representative•I request WB to come up with a clear Yes or No abt this info•Is this true?”
Honble @MamataOfficial banning mobiles in hospitals ‘Kind of’ proves that the Bangur Hospital video was not fake -Thank you. Now here is another detail which I bring forward as People’s representative•I request WB to come up with a clear Yes or No abt this info•Is this true? pic.twitter.com/Tlgtj58MAw
— Babul Supriyo (@SuPriyoBabul) April 22, 2020
The Kolkata Police immediately issued a denial saying that the claims made by Supriyo were untrue and aimed at spreading misinformation. Its tweet read, “The tweet from @SuPriyoBabul is completely incorrect and a misinformation (sic). Somnath Das has not been ‘booked’ by Kolkata Police.”
The tweet from @SuPriyoBabul is completely incorrect and a misinformation. Somnath Das has not been ‘booked’ by Kolkata Police. https://t.co/az9MxPvDx6
— Kolkata Police (@KolkataPolice) April 22, 2020
Supriyo did not appear satisfied with the response from the Kolkata Police as he wrote, “Good u came up with a statement but, while we appreciate the work done by the Police Force in this entire country & respect your selfless service, it gives us no reason to believe u ! To know why I say that, search for answers in your own documented history of TMC-‘DoloDashness’.”
In his subsequent tweet, Supriya asked the cop to address him as ‘honourable’ since he was a minister. He wrote, “BTW, like I hv addressed WBCM as Honble @MamataOfficial & not just @MamataOfficial using my own sense of etiquette, u shud address Ministers as ‘Honble’ irrespective of whether u think he/she is Honble or Not•I don’t think Didi is doing a Honble job for WB yet she IS Honble CM.”
BTW, like I hv addressed WBCM as Honble @MamataOfficial & not just @MamataOfficial using my own sense of etiquette, u shud address Ministers as ‘Honble’ irrespective of whether u think he/she is Honble or Not•I don’t think Didi is doing a Honble job for WB yet she IS Honble CM
— Babul Supriyo (@SuPriyoBabul) April 22, 2020
Babul Supriyo was elected to the Lok Sabha for the second time after he won his last parliamentary polls from Asansol in May last year.
Supriyo kicked up the controversy after he shared a video shot by one Somnath Das, who was recently admitted in a hospital for coronavirus. Although his test came negative for COVID-19, Das had shot a video from inside the hospital showing a couple of dead bodies lying unattended inside the hospital’s COVID-19 ward. Supriyo’s tweet had alleged that the Kolkata Police booked Das soon after his video was shared by several BJP leaders.