Bengal polls: Folk singer who hosted Amit Shah gets TMC invitation for roadshow

KOLKATA: Political slugfest between the BJP and the ruling Trinamool Congress broke out engaging Basudeb Das, the poor folk singer at whose house Amit Shah had lunch in Bolpur, four days after the Union Home minister left Bengal.

When BJP’s national general secretary Anupam Hazra said in a social media post that the plight of the poor folk singer didn’t come to the mind of the TMC in the past 10 years, the ruling party assured Das of helping him to continue his daughter’s education and invited him to present in CM Mamata Banerjee’s roadshow on December 29 along the same stretch where the saffron camp organised a similar event with Shah on a flower-decked vehicle.

"The TMC suddenly expressed its concern over the issue of Das’ plight. It was only because of Shah’s lunch at his house. It proves BJP is much ahead of the TMC to address poor people’s plight. If a lunch can help the poor, such events will be organised in the future," Hazra said in his post.

Sources in the TMC said Das gave his nod to participate in Mamata’s roadshow. Ghosh also met TMC’s Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal on Tuesday and said his fund crunch might for his daughter to stop pursuing higher education in the midway. Mondal asked the party’s students’ wing to take care of the issue.

Chandranath Sinha, TMC MLA and minister, said Das went to Mondal on his own and narrated his problems. "We assured him to address his problem," he said.

Das, however, said no TMC leader forced him to go to Mondal. "I met the TMC’s district president to seek his help for my daughter’s education. He assured me. When the party invited me to be present in the chief minister’s roadshow, I gave a nod. A folk singer never discriminates against anyone by his or her political identity," he said.

Recounting the event of Shah’s lunch at his home, Das said, "I sang a folk song for him. He was in a hurry. I could not get a chance to narrate my plight before him."

Asked whether he received any help from the saffron camp to organise the lunch session, Das said, "No one extended any help. I purchased all ingredients. The local BJP leaders provided me the box of sweet," he said.