Calcutta, May 12: The Trinamul leadership today apparently censured the mayor of the party-run Chandernagore Municipal Corporation for making an obituary reference to SFI leader Sudipto Gupta, who died in police custody, at a board meeting on April 30.

Sudipto’s death on April 2 sparked protests by the CPM and an attack on state finance minister Amit Mitra in Delhi. The Left accused retaliatory attacks on its cadres by Trinamul in the districts after the assault on Mitra.

Trinamul all-India general secretary Mukul Roy today summoned mayor Ram Chakraborty, seven mayor-in-council members and party councillors to the party headquarters in Topsia to “censure” the civic chief for making the obituary reference.

“Mukulda also warned Chakraborty against doing such things in the future,” a Trinamul mayor-in-council member from Chandernagore who attended the meeting said.

The member said Roy indicated that there would be a shuffle in the mayor-in-council for “effective” running of the civic board.

“Complaints were lodged with the leadership that half the mayor-in-council members do not work and this is why Mukulda is in favour of a shuffle,” he added.

A Trinamul source said the Chandernagore mayor was reprimanded following a complaint by local party MLA Asok Sau, who is also a councillor. In his letter to Roy, Sau said it was “improper” to make an obituary reference to an SFI leader.

Contacted, Roy said he had summoned Chakraborty and the other civic members to Trinamul Bhavan but refused to speak on what transpired at the meeting. Roy averted the question if the mayor was censured, saying: “The meeting was held to iron out some organisational problems in Chandernagore.”

Sau said his complaint was “justified”.

“In the monthly meetings of civic boards, obituary references are usually made to eminent personalities besides MPs, MLAs and ministers. But why should an SFI leader be mentioned?” he asked.

Mayor Chakraborty said he had “inadvertently” mentioned Sudipto’s name at the April 30 board meeting because the clerk had enlisted him in the obituary reference list. “I mentioned the SFI leader’s name inadvertently as it was enlisted by the drilling clerk. But it was not officially recorded (in the minutes of the meeting). I should not have mentioned the SFI leader’s name.”