A day after the former councillor of ruling Trinamul Congress was found on Sunday threatening those who have been protesting against the horrific rape and murder of the 31-year-old woman postgraduate trainee (PGT) doctor, the party on Monday suspended him for one year for giving such threat message.

Trinamul Congress leader Kunal Ghosh on his X-handle posted that the party has condemned the leader of the Ashoknagar-Kalyangarh municipal area, who had made derogatory remarks on protesting mothers and sisters. He has been suspended for one year by the party.

A video emerged on social media in which Atish Sarkar alias Jhanku, former councillor of Ashoknagar municipal ward 12, while addressing a Trinamul Congress party programme was seen threatening people, who protest against the incident demanding justice. His wife is a councillor of the party from the same municipal ward.

“Didi has instructed us to hiss,” Mr Sarkar was seen saying on the microphone at an event in a video that is being widely shared.

The Statesman has not verified the authenticity of the video.

“Those of you who are abusing Didi (chief minister), engaging in her character assassination, if we make obscene posters of your mothers and sisters and put them on your walls, you won’t be able to remove them. That day is going to come soon,” he said in Bengali.

Mr Sarkar warned those joining the protests to exercise caution.

“If we start hissing at every locality in the mornings and evenings, will you be able to step out of your homes?” asked the controversial leader.

While addressing the foundation day programme of Trinamul Congress’ students’ wing on Mayo Road on 28 August, the party supremo Mamata Banerjee had instructed the party workers to “hiss” against those who are maligning West Bengal.

Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari shared an audio clip on his X handle, where he alleged the Trinamul’s Canning MLA had threatened the local residents who are organising a ‘Reclaim the Night’ protest at the South 24-Parganas town on Wednesday night.

“The CPM, Congress and BJP have hatched a conspiracy once again to spread canards against our party. I am instructing all party leaders, organisational leaders, representatives at the panchayat and panchayat samity to ensure that no young women or men are allowed to step out of their homes on 4 September. If anybody related to any of our party workers or leaders joins the movement, we will suspend him immediately,” the voice in the audio clip is heard saying.

“MLA Paresh Das is no fringe element, he is what TMC stands for, violence, threats, obstructionism, intimidation, coercion etc,” wrote Suvendu on his ‘X’ handle.

Adhikari’s post was made on Sunday a day before the special session of the Bengal Assembly is to be convened from today onwards where a law to expedite investigation, trial and capital punishment for rapists will be passed.