New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI): All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) leader Kirti Azad on Monday accused the BJP of spreading lies about the internal situation in Trinamool Congress, which is facing dissentions, saying 'it's fake and fabricated narrative'.

He alleged 'blackmailing, coaxing' and that threats were being given of using probe agencies.

He also said that the rebel faction does not have 20 MPs and that the entire episode has become a 'prestige issue' for Home Minister Amit Shah.

'BJP is spreading lies. It's fake and fabricated narrative. In the meanwhile, blackmailing Coaxing, trying to bribe, threaten, with ED, CBI and with dire consequences with the Police. They don't have 20 MPs. They are desperate. It has become a prestige issue for Amit Shah,' he said in a post on X.

Azad earlier accused the 'dirty tricks department of the BJP' of spreading a fake narrative.

'The fake and fabricated narrative of the dirty tricks department of BJP is giving numbers of 20 MPs.. There were 13 Mps 12 from Lok Sabha 1 from Raj Sabha attended the meeting at Bhupinder Yadav's house. No one else has signed on the dotted line apart from these,' he said in another post on X.

He accused rebel leader Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar of 'empty talk'.

'First, they have named twenty MPs. They should tell us which are those twenty MPs. Whose signatures are these? Which are the twenty people who have separated? They will have to provide a list officially. Saying 'twenty MPs are with me' is just empty talk. Anyone can say anything. I could say twenty-two or twenty-three are with me. What I do know is that twelve people went to meet, and then two or three more went,' he told ANI.

Azad also accused the BJP of 'hoodwinking people'.

'Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar is claiming that she is the chief whip and because of that she has written to the honourable speaker Lok Sabha claiming to be the chief whip. Her removal and appointment of Kalyan Banerjee as the chief whip was already informed to the honourable speaker last month by our honourable chairperson Mamta Banerjee. The question is for how long the BJP will keep hoodwinking the people?' he said in a post on X.

Azad dismissed suggestions that Shatrughan Sinha is part of the dissident camp.

'I had a word with him, and they are defaming him, using his name,' Azad said.

Azad claimed that pressure was being exerted on some people through local cases.

'This is the BJP's game. It is not an ED-CBI case, but a local case against them. The police are scaring and threatening them. Many offices have been broken into; that we have already seen. Kakoli herself was tweeting that her sports club was broken into. Four days ago, Bappi Haldar's office was broken into. They are throwing stones and breaking cars. Some people are scared for this reason,' he claimed.

'I am not going anywhere. I am with Didi and will stay with her,' he said. (ANI)