Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's daughter denies trinamool's allegation over her involvement with an NGO

KOLKATA: Mud slandering between the ruling Trinamool Congress and opposition CPIM in West Bengal has reached a new height after the West Bengal industry minister Partha Chatterjee alleged that Suchetana, daughter of former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee used to run an NGO and had gained financially by running the organisation.

Chatterjee also alleged that Suchetana had taken financial help from the Tatas while running her NGO. Chatterjee's allegations came following Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's observation that he did not consider Mamata Banerjee as an honest person. Bhattacharjee was recently interviewed by a private television channel in which he had said that "I don't consider Mamata Banerjee as an honest person and an independent inquiry into her family's current financial status will reveal the actual picture."

Bhattacharjee's observation had created a ripple in Bengal's political circles as no other politician had earlier dared to raise questions and doubts about Mamata Banerjee's honesty, specially before any television channel.

Following Bhattacharjee's observation, industry minister Partha Chatterjee had raised questions about the NGO which was reportedly being run by Bhattacharjee's daughter Suchetana. "It is being said by different quarters that I run an NGO called Aranyak. It is also alleged that I have gained financial profit by running the same NGO and I have received money from the Tatas. But the fact remains that I never ran any NGO named Aranyak. I was never attached to any such NGO.

I was attached to one organisation which was an open forum which used to organise wildlife films between 2004 and 2007. Nature lovers and wildlife activists were attached to it and I was also associated with the institute.

This organisation had never got funds from any government and I too never made any financial profit from this association. I am certain that the present state government has all records and information about this organisation and the government is free to hold any inquiry to reveal the truth which I am telling now.

Trinamool Congress leaders and ministers are making false campaigns by involving me and Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and I also want to make it clear that I had never accepted any financial support from the Tatas. This is absolutely a false statement being made by the Trinamool Congress ministers and leaders and I am certain that these leaders don't have any document or proof to justify their allegations against me," Suchetana told ET .