‘Reckless, baseless’: Suvendu Adhikari sends legal notice to Mamata, demands proof of coal scam charges against him

Suvendu Adhikari has issued a legal notice to Mamata Banerjee, demanding evidence for her claims linking him and Amit Shah to a coal scam. (Express photo by Partha Paul)

West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari sent a legal notice to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday evening, demanding proof of the allegations she made against him and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the coal scam. He issued a 72-hour ultimatum, saying that if she failed to provide evidence, he would initiate civil and criminal defamation proceedings.

According to the legal notice, which was issued through advocate Suryaneel Das, on January 8 and 9, Banerjee publicly suggested that Adhikari and Shah were involved in an “alleged coal scam” and claimed to possess supporting evidence, but did not display any such material.

“It has come to the knowledge of my client that on 08.01.2026 and again on 09.01.2026, you have made reckless, baseless, and wholly unsubstantiated allegations against my client by publicly insinuating that my client, along with the Union Home Minister of India, is involved in an alleged coal scam. You have further claimed that you are in possession of evidence in support of such allegations,” the notice stated.

The legal notice claimed that Banerjee’s comments formed a “calculated and sinister design” to shift attention away from issues concerning her, her family members, and the Trinamool Congress. It also alleged that these matters were already under public scrutiny and argued that the coal scam allegation was being used as a distraction from those controversies.

Adhikari demanded that Banerjee share all documents, records, and “purported evidence” backing her charges within 72 hours.

The development follows a speech made by Mamata Banerjee where she targeted the Election Commission, central agencies, Shah, and Adhikari. “You know who is sitting in the Election Commission. He was the cooperation department secretary of Amit Shah. I have no issues with that. If Gyanesh Kumar is vanishing votes, why will I stay quiet? If the voter’s rights are snatched, I will snatch your rights,” she said.

“TMC MPs have been dragged mercilessly when they were protesting in Delhi. All the agencies have been grabbed. I challenge them to show that they came to power in Haryana and Bihar forcefully. In one more state, they come to power forcefully. Now they are trying to do this in Bengal. Who gets the coal scam money? Amit Shah gets it. The money goes through Suvendu Adhikari. The money goes through BJP leader Jagannath Chattopadhyay to Suvendu Adhikari. Suvendu Adhikari sends it to Amit Shah,” she had alleged.