india

Updated: Jul 01, 2019 17:04 IST

Trinamool Congress legislator Baishali Dalmiya has threatened to drag a former party councillor of Howrah Municipal Corporation to court over his allegation that she takes ‘cut money’, an issue which has seen protests by the BJP and locals in a few districts.

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

Dalmiya, who is the MLA from Bally in Howrah district, was also present at the meeting. She immediately protested and asked him to furnish proof in support of his allegation within a day or face legal action.

“His (Ahmed’s) allegation is completely false. I have never taken a paise from anyone. I am also the director of M L Dalmiya & Co and I don’t need to earn in this manner,” Dalimya said.

Dalmiya, the daughter of former Board of Control for Cricket in India and International Cricket Council president Jagmohan Dalmiya, is a director of the 71-year-old company for the past 24 years.

Dalmiya said on Monday she will 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 any support from the party, I shall be constrained to move a court to protect my reputation,” she said.

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

The ‘cut money’ issue has rocked the state since chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced on June 18 that her party leaders, who earned 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 agitated in front of houses and offices of dozens of her party leaders, have put up roadblocks, have extracted written promises from a few that they would return the money and in a few cases, have actually succeeded in getting cash back from leaders.

In some areas, posters and banners have appeared naming ruling party leaders, who have taken such illegal commissions and demanded that they return the money.

In a few cases, TMC leaders have written to senior leaders admitting their ‘mistakes’.

In Rajpur-Sonarpur municipality on the southern fringes of Kolkata, chairperson Pallabkanti Das said that they have instructed all employees of the civic body to declare their assets every year. The employees have to submit the declaration by July, said Das.

On Monday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers erected roadblocks in Labhpur area of Birbhum district by placing burning tyres in the middle of the road. Some also held an agitation in front of the Parui police station.

In Chandrakona of West Midnapore and Kolaghat of East Midnapore districts, posters came up demanding the return of such money by municipal councillors and rural body functionaries.

“Our men are taking the initiative and negotiating with ruling party leaders and even arranging the return of money. It is good. It also proves that money was taken in the first place,” the BJP’s Bengal unit president Dilip Ghosh said.