West Bengal Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Friday approached a court against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, filing a Rs 100 crore defamation suit over what he termed “false and malicious” allegations linking him to an alleged coal scam.

In a social media post, Adhikari said the case was filed before the court of the civil judge (senior division) in Alipore after Banerjee failed to respond to a legal notice served earlier this month. Addressing the chief minister, he accused her of making “imaginary” claims and remaining silent despite being given an opportunity to substantiate them.

“I honour my commitments while you evade accountability,” Adhikari wrote, alleging that Banerjee’s silence on the defamation notice would not help her case. He added that he had proceeded with legal action after she did not reply within the stipulated time, as warned earlier.

The BJP leader further stated that any compensation awarded by the court would be donated to charity. He urged Banerjee to consult her legal team, warning that she could be liable to pay Rs 100 crore in damages if the court ruled in his favour.

Adhikari had earlier issued a defamation notice through his advocate, accusing the chief minister of publicly linking him and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to an alleged coal scam during statements made on January 8 and 9. He claimed Banerjee asserted she had evidence but failed to present any supporting material, giving her 72 hours to do so before initiating legal proceedings.

A former senior minister in the Trinamool Congress government, Adhikari switched to the BJP ahead of the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections. Since then, he has emerged as one of Banerjee’s strongest political adversaries, with frequent confrontations both in court and on the political stage.