Bengal withdraws minister's security after jibes against celebrity leaders

The West Bengal government on Wednesday withdrew the security cover of three-time Trinamool Congress MLA and minister of state for consumer affairs Srikant Mahata after he questioned the credibility and morality of the celebrity leaders in the party.

After being censured and issued a show-cause notice for comments wherein he claimed that celebrity leaders like Mimi Chakraborty, Nusrat Jahan, June Malia and Saayoni Ghosh, despite looting money are considered assets for the party, the state government withdrew the security entitled to him as a minister of state.

He would be provided with just a body-guard which he is entitled to as an elected legislator and his remaining security personnel have been asked to report back to the police lines, sources from the state home department said.

The development happens despite Mahata apologising for his comments and explaining he made such statements being driven by emotions.

While Mimi Chakraborty and Nusrat Jahan are Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha members from Jadavpur and Basirhat constituencies respectively, Malia is an elected MLA from Midnapore Assembly constituency. On the other hand, Saayoni Ghosh is the state president of Trinamool Congress's youth wing in West Bengal.

Mahata is in Kolkata now to attend a meeting of the state cabinet to be chaired by the chief minister. The question now is that whether after withdrawing his security, he would also be shown the doors out of the ministry.

"It is to be seen now what decision that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee takes in the cabinet meeting today," said a member of the state cabinet on strict condition of anonymity.

It is learnt that following the comments of Mahata, many of the celebrity leaders that he named in his statement became extremely agitated and brought that to the notice of the chief minister. The chief minister also did not take the matter lightly and on her instructions, the party leadership censured Mahata.

--IANS

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