Reiterating to Outlook “the need to wait for August 13,” Kalyan Bandyopadhyay, TMC Member of Parliament and council for the state government and Pal, justified appealing to the division bench by saying that there was more to establish in his defence including the context in which he spoke.
Speaking to Outlook, Pal’s colleague in Parliament, co-actor in many films and first time TMC MP Moon Moon Sen too said things should be looked at “in context”. She said, “He had just visited the bereaved family of a murdered party worker and he was moved to anger and thoughts of revenge and is likely to have said those things in the heat of the moment. But though he, like most of us, loses his temper, he is generally a very caring human being and thoughtful of others. In all the movies and stage plays in which I have acted with him, he has gone out of his way to help me.”
But other party members are unequivocal in their condemnation of the comments, apology or not. “Our party’s national spokesperson (Derek O’brien) will convey the official party position, but my personal view is that the comments (Pal’s) were outrageous,” Professor Sugoto Bose, first-time Trinamool MP told Outlook, pointing out that since the matter is in court he would not be able say much more.
In the corridors of Calcutta’s legal lobbies, the “unconditional apology” is not cutting much ice. “You cannot commit a murder, rape, theft or dacoity and say sorry and get away with it,” said Calcutta High Court lawyer Nibedita Roye. “Even if all the things a thief has stolen is recovered, they still have to go to jail. Likewise a speech by someone who is a lawmaker which incites people to violence and crimes like murder and rape cannot be condoned with just an apology.”
Debashish Saha, the petitioner’s lawyer adds further, “Tapas Pal is not just a lawmaker who is an influential figure in society but also an actor— a ‘hero’— whom hundreds of people look up to, admire and even worship. From that position of responsibility, his comments take on a more serious role in its ability to influence. In fact a political murder has subsequently taken place there.”
Ultimately the answer— whether Tapas Pal will be arrested or not— lies with the division bench. In legal and political circles the countdown to August 13 has begun. The buzz is that that day will see a packed courtroom. The irony is that the Bengali film star has always been used to packed movie theatres. But then he always played the part of the “hero.” Suddenly he finds himself accused of acting like a villain.