State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar on Friday alleged that Ranjan Sarkar, deputy mayor of the Trinamul-run Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC), has engaged in corruption to amass assets worth around ₹1,500 crore.

“I am surprised to learn that Ranjan Sarkar, the deputy mayor of SMC, has property worth ₹1,500 crores. At a time when the civic board here couldn’t carry out basic work owing to the paucity of funds, such accumulation of assets by the deputy mayor hints that he has indulged in corruption,” Majumdar, who is also the Union minister of state for education and department of the northeast region, told reporters in Bagdogra airport.

Majumdar landed at Bagdogra from Delhi and left for Balurghat, his hometown,
on Friday.

Sarkar rubbished the allegations and said he would send a legal notice to Majumdar.

“He (Majumdar) holds a responsible post in his party and is also a Union minister. I doubt whether he is in good mental health or else he wouldn’t have raised such a baseless allegation against me. I will serve a legal notice to him, asking him to
prove his charge,” said the deputy mayor.

“If he fails to prove his point, he should resign from his posts. Also, in such a situation, I will file a defamation suit against him,” added Sarkar.

While Majumdar and Sarkar traded charges, the BJP on Friday demonstrated in front of the SMC for allegedly failing to provide basic civic services to Siliguri residents.

Led by Arun Mondal, the BJP president of the Siliguri (organisational) district committee, and Amit Jain, the leader of the Opposition in the SMC, over 100 BJP supporters carrying placards and banners took out the rally and headed for the SMC.

Police stopped them as they tried to enter the premises of the SMC. After a brief
scuffle, the BJP supporters squatted on the road and launched an agitation.

“Ahead of the civic polls (held in 2022), Trinamool had promised the people here that they would provide better conservancy services and improve the traffic management system. But they have miserably failed,” said Jain.

The demonstration continued for around a couple of hours after which the BJP supporters left the spot.

“The BJP is suffering political bankruptcy and therefore resorting to such activities. People across Siliguri are well aware of the initiatives and efforts taken up by our board in recent years,” said Sarkar, the deputy mayor.