All of Kunal Ghosh's insinuations pertain to money spent on hiring helicopters for political advertisements and even a whopping Rs 88 lakh in a bank account in Panchkula.
New Delhi: Just a day before Bengal goes to polls for the last phase, former TMC Rajya Sabha MP Kunal Ghosh drops an allegation nothing short of a bomb. Ghosh has come out with three pages of documents mainly from the Income Tax department to the Trinamool Congress, asking his former party to come clean. All his insinuations pertain to money spent on hiring helicopters for political advertisements and even a whopping Rs 88 lakh in a bank account in Panchkula.
In a post uploaded on social media, Ghosh has claimed that the documents presented by him seem to show the following:
"1. In the run-up to 2014 Lok Sabha election, crores were spent in hiring helicopters and flights. Pawan Hans and Deccan charter were among other companies that were paid Rs 15 crore for the purpose.
2. Trinamool Congress spent close to SR 3.5 crore between 2012-13 and 2013-14 for advertisements in a few media organisations.
3. Approximately RS 4.5 crore was spent on political work and flag distribution between June and July of 2012.
4. Trinamool Congress has a bank account bearing the number 13741450000066 in Sector 8 of Panchkula. Rs 88 lakh was deposited in cash only between February 7 and 13 of 2012 in this account."
Ghosh claims through the purported documents that the IT department of Chandigarh wrote to Trinamool Congress to explain which the TMC seems have shied away from.
The former TMC leader who later fell off with Mamata Banerjee on the issue of Saradha scam and subsequently been arrested questions, "If this letter is authentic, then the question is where did the money come from? Is it the money of chit fund or not?" Ghosh was referring to the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam in which many TMC leaders are embroiled including Ghosh himself.
Though Ghosh played on the technicalities asking, "Is this letter real or not?" but with open questions and insinuations, he has made his point clear.
The twin questions that arise are who did it and if true, how did it not come to the fore? Ghosh claims, "I wanted to know about the then general secretary of the Trinamool, Mukul Roy. He said that he was not in charge of these things.." While the question remains, Who did it if at all, the former TMC MP charges Rajeev Kumar for suppressing the 'matter' along with Arnab Ghosh's SIT probing the Saradha chit fund scam. Kunal Ghosh alleges both of them knew the matter way back in 2013.
Just twenty-four hours before the crucial Bengal election, this post, regardless of it the truth is likely to create ripples. And with a surcharged atmosphere in the state where BJP is eyeing to grab a pie off TMC's vote share and Mamata not ready to give away even an inch, this social media post by a former TMC MP is nothing less than a political explosive.
TMC has been contacted for more information but there has been no response. Copy will be updated when TMC responds.
Read Exclusive COVID-19 Coronavirus News updates, at MyNation.