Kolkata: Baidyanath Ghosh Dastidar, son of TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, has served a legal “Cease and Desist Notice regarding False, Defamatory and Unwarranted References” on former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and several senior Trinamool Congress leaders, escalating a simmering intra-party dispute into a formal legal confrontation.
The notice accuses MPs Mahua Moitra, Kalyan Banerjee, Sougata Roy and former MLA Sonali Guha of making “false and defamatory” statements suggesting Baidyanath sought the TMC nomination for the Barasat assembly seat, as reported by DNA. Baidyanath has strongly refuted those claims, saying he never asked for a party ticket and calling the reports “100% lies.”
He also objected to public references to his family, arguing such mentions were politically motivated. In a social media post, he said that internal disagreements “should be handled politically and not by involving private individuals or family members.”
The legal notice highlights Baidyanath’s medical credentials, noting his training as a psychiatrist at institutions including Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University, and NHS Foundation Trusts in London. It argues that repeated public statements suggesting political ambitions have harmed his professional reputation and credibility.
The notice also addresses claims that Baidyanath had been approached by persons linked to IPAC, the political consultancy that previously worked with the TMC, and by party-associated representatives who allegedly encouraged him to enter electoral politics. Baidyanath has denied being solicited to contest from Barasat.
The notice demands that the named leaders retract the alleged false statements and issue a public apology within 15 days. It warns that if they fail to comply, Baidyanath may pursue civil and criminal legal action.
As of now, neither Mamata Banerjee nor the other leaders named in the notice have issued an official response. The development compounds reports of factional tensions within the Trinamool Congress and brings the party’s internal bickering into the public and legal domains.
