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Asansol, Jan. 4: The Asansol municipality chairperson today handed out Trinamul flags to 60 Congress workers who switched over to the party, earning criticism for indulging in “glaring political activity” in his civic office chamber.
The Congress and the CPM termed Jitender Tiwari’s act “unethical”.
“It is unethical. A civic chairperson should not indulge in such glaring political activity inside his chamber. The corporation building has been turned into a Trinamul office. Mayor Tapas Banerjee, too, has turned his room into a party office. We have told our party higher-ups in Calcutta,” said Rabiul Islam, the Congress mayor-in-council member who looks after water supply.
Amal Haldar, the CPM district secretary in Burdwan, echoed Islam. “Trinamul is seeing all government establishments as their political property,” he said.
In the Asansol civic board, Trinamul has 18 councillors and the Congress 12. The Lefthas 20 councillors.
According to Jayanta Aikat, the additional district magistrate of Asansol court, the chairperson’s act was unethical, but not illegal.
“There is no specific rule that a chairman can’t indulge in political activities in his chamber. But, such an act is unethical and worth criticism,” he said.
Congress state president Pradip Bhattacharya will visit Asansol tomorrow and is expected to hold a meeting on Tiwari’s act.
Tiwari said he did not think his act was “unethical”. “The Congress workers told me they were fed up with their party. They wanted to join Trinamul. I only go by people’s voice and sentiment. I don’t care what the Congress and the CPM are saying,” he said.
Mayor Tapas Banerjee refused comment.
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