india

Updated: Jul 02, 2019 08:18 IST

Trinamool Congress legislator Baishali Dalmiya has threatened to drag a former party councillor of Howrah Municipal Corporation to court after he accused her of taking “cut money” or illegal commission from beneficiaries of government schemes.

Tafzil Ahmed, who was the councillor of Howrah Municipal Corporation ward 58, purportedly made the comment in an internal meeting of the party on Sunday in the presence of urban development minister Firhad Hakim.

Dalmiya, daughter of former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Jagmohan Dalmiya, represents the Bally constituency in Howrah district in the West Bengal legislative assembly. She was also present in Sunday’s meeting and protested against Ahmed’s remark, asking him to prove his allegation within a day, or face legal action.

“His (Ahmed’s) allegation is completely false. I have never taken a paisa from anyone. I am also the director of M L Dalmiya & Co and I don’t need to earn in this manner,” said Dalimya who has been director of the 71-year-old company for the past 24 years.

Ahmed refused to speak on the matter. “I shall not speak a word on what transpired in an internal meeting of the party,” Ahmed said on Monday.

Dalmiya said she will wait and watch for a week whether the party speaks to Ahmed and stands by her. “I have spoken to the Howrah district party president. If I don’t get any support from the party, I shall be constrained to move court to protect my reputation,” she said.

The “cut money” controversy has been simmering since June 18 when chief minister Mamata Banerjee told municipal councillors at a meeting that TMC leaders who had taken illegal commissions from the beneficiaries of government welfare schemes, should return the money to those it was intended for.

Since her dramatic statement, villagers in different districts have staged protests.