Memari BJP MLA Manab Guha has warned that people allegedly collecting money in his name will face action, after complaints involving demands at shops and payments sought for borewells, water connections and unauthorised construction in parts of Purba Bardhaman.
Guha issued the warning at a BJP programme in Memari on Thursday evening, where the party had organised a lamp-lighting event as part of its Sankalp Abhiyan and to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday. According to Anandabazar, the MLA said he had been asking for extortion to stop in the area for the past three to four months, but complaints were continuing.
The allegations cited in the report include people visiting shops and demanding Rs 5,000 while claiming that the MLA had sent them. Guha said such alleged extortionists would be restrained and warned that similar action would be taken if money was demanded in his name in areas under panchayats as well as the Memari municipality.
The MLA said he could visit locations personally if required and take further steps. He also said action against those accused would be taken according to law. The report does not state that a police case or formal administrative inquiry has been registered in connection with the allegations.
Guha alleged that some people associated with the Trinamool Congress were carrying out the activity while using the BJP’s name. He also said that individuals who had moved from the Trinamool Congress to the BJP, along with some BJP leaders and workers, could be sheltering people accused of extortion. He questioned whether former offenders had entered the BJP and resumed such activities.
At the same time, the MLA said the identity or political affiliation of those involved was not the central issue and that stopping extortion was the priority. His comments place the allegations within a wider dispute over political influence, access to local services and the use of elected representatives’ names in municipal and panchayat areas.
The warning also covered construction and utility-related permissions. Guha said construction should not be carried out without approval from the municipality. He specifically referred to installing submersible pumps, laying water lines and constructing houses, saying that residents should obtain the required permissions and follow rules for each activity.
The report does not provide details of the specific municipal regulations involved, the number of complaints received or the authorities to whom affected residents may have reported the alleged demands. It also does not include a response from the Trinamool Congress, the Memari municipality, the panchayat authorities or the police.
Guha urged residents not to pay people seeking money to provide unauthorised benefits. His stated next step was to visit affected locations where necessary and pursue action against alleged extortionists under the law.
