Faced with statewide protests out the doors of the residences of some of its leaders over the problem of “cut money,” the TMC accused the media of misreporting Sunday’s interactions among Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the celebrated elected representatives.
It stated, “ninety-nine. Ninety-nine in step with cent” of celebration functionaries were difficult-running and dedicated to paintings for the benefit of the people.
TMC leaders at the municipal and panchayat tiers have been dealing with public ire within the districts of Birbhum, Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Burdwan, Malda, Purulia, Nadia, West Midnapore, and Bankura.
“A positive section of media is misreporting at the lately-held interactions between the chairperson of the Trinamool Congress (Mamata) with celebration functionaries and the elected representatives,” TMC well-known secretary Partha Chatterjee said in a declaration.
“The chairperson reiterated her advice for them to work tirelessly for the welfare of the human beings and make sure that all budget allocated for public welfare schemes are utilized in the maximum productive way possible,” Chatterjee said.
The leader alleged that a few human beings from exceptional political events have been sullying the name of the TMC by indulging in corruption and unfair practices and that they could be dealt with significantly.
Chatterjee said only a few members from panchayats and municipalities had joined the Bharatiya Janata Party due to their “ulterior reasons and vested hobbies”. “They have completed this with the desire that their misdeeds and crimes might be washed away,” he stated.
TMC Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen, too, has recently been accused of seeking “reduce cash” from a realtor in north Kolkata. Sen has denied the accusation as “baseless and politically influenced” to malign his recognition.
Banerjee had warned celebration leaders that those worried about taking “reduce cash” from government schemes and other corrupt practices would be positioned behind bars.
“Our celebration supremo has warned us against getting concerned about corruption and instructed us to return cut money if we have taken any from humans. She has instructed that if all people are determined to reduce money to provide benefits from government schemes, they will be arrested,” a senior TMC leader said.
At a recent assembly with TMC councilors, Banerjee had stated: “I do now not want to keep thieves in my birthday party. If I take motion, they’ll join some different birthday celebrations. Some leaders claim a 25-per cent fee for providing housing grants to people experiencing poverty. This should be forestalled at once. Return the cash if any of you have taken it.”
Her diktat did not go over well with the rank and file of the birthday party, as several councilors and birthday celebration leaders wondered about the directive.
“It’s a sort of insult. If we had taken any cut money, we had also given a primary chew to pinnacle birthday celebration leaders. What about that? Will they return that money?” asked a senior TMC leader from the Nadia district.
Trinamool Congress MP Satabdi Roy said Banerjee should have initiated measures to forestall the exercise well in advance.
“A man or woman who has taken dreduced cash immediately is the front man. Others’re behind him. They have additionally taken their proportion. So the cash has to be returned consistent with this chain,” Roy had said.
The BJP, Congress, and the CPI(M) had mocked the ruling party over the protests and said the “corruption of TMC leaders” was now out in the open.
“It became a famous open secret that the TMC seeks to reduce money and commission. Now, the hundreds are protesting in opposition to it,” BJP country president Dilip Ghosh said.
Congress state president Somen Mitra demanded that all the TMC leaders, including elected representatives, publicly disclose their property amounts.
