The Trinamool Congresss on Friday issued a show cause notice to party MP Anupam Hazra for his post that allegedly drew parallels between Mahatma Gandhi and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, PTI reported. “I feel had Mr Gandhi and Mr Nehru not victimized Netaji, then he would have been conferred the title [father of the nation]’’ Hazra said in a Facebook post.

The party has asked the Bolpur MP to reply in a week. “We have repeatedly cautioned him [Hazra] and asked him not to make any sort of comment which may dent the image of the party,” Trinamool Congress General Secretary Partha Chatterjee said. “But he has been constantly making statements which are harmful for the party.”

Hazra’s post had said: “If Mr Gandhi’s image was not there on notes, the love for him among Indians would not have been as much. Instead of going by traditional opinions, who among you would agree with me, I would like to know.”

The MP played down the party’s reaction. “I came up with this idea [about the post] after a discussion with some of my old Jawarharlal Nehru University friends,” Hazra told ABP News. “But I don’t know how it had become an anti-party thing... I was shocked. I do not think I have ever knowingly engaged in any act that could be against the interest of the party or affects the reputation of Didimoni [referring to Mamta Banerjee as elder sister].”

The party’s district president Anubrata Mandal also rebuked Hazra for his controversial post, PTI reported.