New Delhi: The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal has found itself in the middle of a huge controversy after a video surfaced, that the opposition alleges, shows a ruling party leader instructing his party workers to frame a BJP worker for possessing cannabis or ganja.

Anubrata Mondal, the Trinamool’s Birbhum district president, is also seen telling party workers at a meeting on Sunday to get the district police chief on the line so that he can pass on the instructions.

“What is the name of the woman? She is a BJP worker. She has an outlet of cloth. Get her arrested in a ganja case,” Mondal is seen to have said.

When a party worker said she could be kept under check, Mondal said, “Tell me clearly whether you can control her. If you cannot, get her arrested.”

The anti-narcotics law stipulates a minimum jail term of six months for possessing up to 1 kg of cannabis. Conviction for possession of a larger quantity could lead to prison term extending up to 20 years.

Mondal was speaking at a district-level party meeting 170 km from state capital Kolkata. Apart from bring the Birbhum district president of Trinamool, he is also the party’s observer in the three assembly constituencies of Mangalkot, Ausgram and Ketugram in neighbouring East Burdwan district.

Bengal agriculture minister Ashish Banerjee, who is also the legislator from Rampurhat in Birbhum district and vice-president of district TMC, Rana Singha, were present when Mondal is accused to have made the controversial statement.

HT has accessed the widely-circulated video but cannot independently verify its authenticity. The BJP worker wasn’t the only one on Mondal’s radar at this meeting.