A group of Trinamool leaders based in Dinhata of Cooch Behar slammed Bangshibadan Barman who heads a faction of the Greater Cooch Behar Peoples’ Association (GCPA) for being critical of Udayan Guha, the NB development minister and also accused him for indulging in corruption.

A few days back, Guha, who is also the TMC MLA of Dinhata, had accused a section of party workers of collecting money from people.

“I have information that some of our workers are collecting money from people in different pretexts. I have told the district magistrate that they are gathering money while assuring assistance under the housing scheme. I would ask them to refrain from such acts,” the minister had said while speaking at an event hosted by Trinamool.

Such remarks of Guha had prompted Barman, who has time and again lent support to TMC, to toss questionsat Guha.

“Minister Udayan Guha has failed to keep his party workers in control, as was evident from his comments. He should take the responsibility and resign,” Barman had said.

This reaction of the GCPA leader, who is also the chairman of the Rajbanshi Development & Cultural Board and the Rajbanshi Bhasha Academy, has not gone down well with TMC leaders and workers of DInhata.

On Friday, the leaders assembled in the local party office in Dinhata and slammed Barman.

“We all are aware that Bangshibadan Barman has collected money in the name of recruiting teachers in around 200 Rajbanshi medium schools which the state has recognized. He heads two bodies formed by the state government for the socio-economic and cultural improvement of the Rajbanshis but has not done anything so far. How can he speak against a state minister and our party leader,” said Dipak Bhattacharya, the TMC president of Dinhata-II block.

Moumita Bhattacharya, the Dinhata town block president of TMC, said ahead of the elections, Barman always tries to get a nomination from TMC.

“He should refrain from commenting on internal issues of our party. We are also surprised at the silence of the district TMC leadership. Despite such comments by Bangshibadan Barman, they have not made any comment to counter the remarks,” said Bhattacharya.

Some other TMC leaders spoke on similar lines, tossing questions both at Barman and at the district leaders.

“He will not find a place to hide if we divulge his acts. We will do so in due course as he is acting against the interest of our party,” said Hiralal Das, the Dinhata town block president of the SC & ST cell of Trinamool.

Guha, the minister, when told that TMC leaders of Dinhata are vocal on the issue, said the district leadership should have registered a protest after Barman’s comments.

“They remained silent and thus, leaders of Dinhata raised their voices,” he said.

Barman, when contacted, sounded unperturbed and claimed that the allegation of corruption over the recruitment of teachers in the Rajbanshi-medium schoolsis baseless.

“Udayan Guha had said at the meeting that some TMC workers are illegally making money. That is why, Ihad said that being a minister and a TMC leader, if he can’t stop it, he should resign,” said the GCPA leader.