Mamata Banerjee bounty row: Lok Sabha unanimously condemns Yogesh Varshney's statement

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Wednesday condemned a Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha leader Yogesh Varshney’s offer for a bounty of Rs 11 lakh to anyone who beheads West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Raising the issue soon after the House assembled to take up the day’s business, TMC member Saugata Roy said a BJP youth wing leader had made the “announcement” of giving the reward for beheading Banerjee, after police resorted to lathicharge in Birbhum district to disperse a rally during Hanuman Jayanti. “Mamata Banerjee is not only an elected chief minister but a former member of this House too. It is a serious and alarming behaviour and the House must condemn it. She is a grassroot leader and government must take action on it,” he said. Fully supporting Roy, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said his party fully associated with the sentiment and such incident must not happen anywhere. “A strong message should go from the government against such behaviour and action must be taken against the guilty,” he said. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said such a statement by anyone was completely wrong and the government strongly condemns it. “She is an elected chief minister and due respect must be given to her. We strongly condemn it,” Kumar said. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said there have been many unpleasant incidents in the political discourse in recent past and everyone must work together to improve it. “This is complete wrong. All sides must exercise restraint,” she said.