West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday escalated his legal and political confrontation with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, asserting that she failed to respond to a defamation notice sent by him within the stipulated time. In a strongly worded public statement on social media, Adhikari accused the Chief Minister of making baseless allegations against him and warned of imminent legal action.

Adhikari claimed that the deadline given to Mamata Banerjee to reply to the defamation notice has now expired, and her silence, according to him, reflects her inability to substantiate the allegations she made earlier. He alleged that the accusations linking him to a coal scam were fabricated and politically motivated.

In his post, Suvendu Adhikari used the entire statement to convey his stand and legal warning. He wrote:

"Mamata Banerjee seems to be at wits end. The time given to Mamata Banerjee vide the Defamation Notice on my behalf has now expired and being in a fix has prevented her from replying. The Chief Minister by her conduct has made it clear that her imaginary allegations pertaining to me being involved in a coal scam was a product of her insalubrious mindset. Get ready to face legal consequences in the Court. Mamata Banerjee, now I will see you in Court"
The BJP leader maintained that the Chief Minister’s failure to issue a response strengthens his claim that the allegations lack factual basis. He also indicated that the matter would now move to the judiciary, signalling the start of a legal battle between the state’s top political rivals.