Tollywood star and former Trinamool Congress MP Mimi Chakraborty alleged she was harassed by the organisers of a cultural event in Bongaon, North 24-Parganas on Sunday night.

According to police and local sources, the Nayagopal Gunja Jubok Sangha had organised a musical soiree. Mimi, the star attraction, was scheduled to appear on stage at 10.30pm. However, organisers claimed she reached around 11.30pm and went on stage around 11.45pm. As police permission for the event was valid only till midnight, organisers asked her to stop the performance soon after it began.

Mimi claimed she was humiliated in full public view. She called the Bongaon police station after stepping down from the stage and later sent a formal complaint of harassment by email. On social media, she wrote: “I was performing when the person (club functionary Tanay Shastri) arrived on stage and asked me to leave. It was so sudden that I couldn’t understand what was happening.”

“I was stunned and kept looking at him when he again asked me to leave the stage even though I had just started performing. I then left immediately, wished the audience good night and called the police,” said the former Jadavpur MP.

Rejecting harassment charges, Shastri said: “Several eminent artistes were invited to perform. All arrived on time except Mimi Chakraborty.”

He added: “Our permitted time was till midnight only. So when the celebrity finally began the show, it was too late.... We humbly requested her to leave the stage.”

Shastri claimed there was no intention to insult the actor. “We have live video footage of the entire episode. It was she and her bouncers who misbehaved with our women members...,” he claimed.

Ajay Banik, an office bearer of the club, echoed Shastri: “Mimi Madam arrived very late and showed lack of professionalism by not respecting the time of others. We were bound by police permission not to continue the programme beyond midnight. We therefore politely requested her to leave.”

Mimi said she would consider filing a defamation case against the organisers. “Respect for women and artistes has been completely destroyed. I will not remain silent,” she said.

Till Monday evening, cops had not formally taken cognisance of the complaint and were examining the veracity of the charges.

Local MLA Biswajit Das said artistes were usually treated deferentially in the area. “I will request the police to look into the matter.”

Singer Lagnajita Chakraborty was harassed during a show in East Midnapore recently, but that incident had communal overtones.