The Border Security Force (BSF) posted inSouth Dinajpur on Tuesday seized gold bars worth over ₹28 lakh from a man who local sources said has links to Trinamool.

District TMC leaders said Sanjay Kumar Mondal, on whom the gold was found, had no link with the party.

Local BJP and Left leaders, scoffing at this claim, pointed out that Mondal's wife was a Trinamool leader “elected twice” in rural polls.

Sources said that acting on a tip-off, a team of the 61st battalion of the BSF posted at the Bhimpur border outpost near the Bangladesh border intercepted Mondal, a resident of Kismadapat village under Hili police station.

They found three gold bars, weighing 349.87 grams in all, fastened on his leg.

“We suspect Mondal smuggled in the gold from Bangladesh,” said a source. “He was handed over to the Customs in Hili.”

As the news spread, BJP and the Left leaders claimed Mondal was a TMC leader in Hili. His wife, a Trinamool leader, was elected twice as a member of the local panchayat samiti, they pointed out.

“It is evident that a section of TMC leaders are involved in illegal activities, including gold smuggling. The police and all central agencies should be on the alert to prevent such activities in South Dinajpur as the district shares borders with Bangladesh. Stringent legal steps should be taken against these people,” said Swarup Choudhury, the district BJP president.

Nandalal Hazra, the CPM district secretary, said he was not surprised at Mondal "caught red-handed while smuggling gold". “Many TMC leaders, even those working in blocks and panchayats, are involved in corruption and wrongdoings," said the Left leader.

Subhash Bhowal, the TMC district president, said: "The gold smuggler is not related to our party in any manner."

Told about the allegations of political rivals, he said: "We do not keep such people in the TMC. Still, we will check his antecedents."