In an exclusive interview with Hindi daily Dainik Bhaskar, ex-TMC leaders and the former General Secretary of West Bengal College and Universities Professor’s Association (WBCUPA), Baisakhi Banerjee has claimed that apart from Arpita Mukherjee, Partha Chatterjee was also in a relationship with Monalisa Das. She said that she had evidence to support her claims.
Former Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee, and his ‘close friend’ Arpita Mukherjee have been making headlines for their involvement in the multi-crore SSC recruitment scam case. The Enforcement Directorate has recovered over Rs 50 crores in cash and Rs 4.31 crore worth of gold from multiple locations linked to Arpita Mukherjee. The duo are now under ED’s custody.
Monalisa Das is a university professor who is being touted as another close associate of Partha Chatterjee. Reportedly, 10 flats have been found in the name of Monalisa.
Monalisa Das is a Bengali professor at the Kazi Nazrul University, Asansol.
Baisakhi recalled how once, during her tenure as the WBCUPA General Secretary, the wife of the vice-chancellor of the college where Monalisa Das was an assistant professor had complained to her about the latter.
Banerjee told the media house, “the vice chancellor’s wife once rued before me ‘Parth Chatterjee’s girlfriend Monalisa is having an affair with my husband. She is destroying my home. You know them; pls take some action’.
I asked her on what basis was she making such a strong allegation against Partha Chatterjee. The wife of the vice-chancellor then sent me some chats between Partha and Monalisa. From which it was clear that both are very close. I still have this chat, but since it is her personal matter, I will not share it with anyone,” said the former TMC leader Baisakhi Banerjee.
Baisakhi Banerjee further said that after she received the evidence, she had advised the wife of the vice-chancellor to write a letter to WB CM and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee apprising her of the matter. She wrote to the CM, but Mamata Banerjee, in turn, sent the letter to Partha Chatterjee, who was the State Education Minister then.
Chatterjee called up the vice-chancellor of the college to apprise him about the letter his wife wrote to the CM and threatened him with dire consequences for getting his name in between.
“I was astonished to hear these things. I realised that Partha Chatterjee has two sides to himself. One what he pretends to be in front of me and the other is his real self which I got to know from other people,” said Baisakhi Banerjee, adding that later, the wife of the vice-chancellor, who worked as a counsellor in a government college was terminated from her job.
“The woman eventually gave up. She didn’t fight for herself. Going to the CM also didn’t help,” lamented Banerjee.
Giving more insights about Partha Chatterjee’s personal life, Baisakhi Banerjee said that though Partha Chatterjee has never given her the “romeo” vibes, she herself has seen how the ex-TMC leader has always been surrounded by women. “I have seen many girls with Partha Chatterjee. 3-4 girls used to keep hovering around and wiping Partha Chatterjee’s sweat in his office,” said Banerjee adding that “he used to come to the office only once or twice a month. No one knows where he lived the rest of the time. Now it is being learned from the media that he used to go abroad.”
Calling Partha Chatterjee’s close aide Arpita Mukherjee a ‘C’ grade actress, Baisakhi Banerjee said that she had not even heard her name until she learnt that Partha Chaterjee was having an affair with her.
Baisakhi Banerjee said that Partha Chatterjee knew of massive corruption in the education department but he did not take action. He said that she herself had protested against Partha Chatterjee many times because of whish she was transferred. “I resigned as soon as I was transferred, while I had 22 years of job left,” rued the former WBCUPA General Secretary.
While speaking to India Today also, Baisakhi Banerjee called Partha Chatterjee a “vindictive man.”
Narrating a 2017 incident, Baisakhi went on to allege that Partha Chatterjee made a deal with the governor, who was the chancellor at the time he was the education minister. Partha Chatterjee made certain that his corruption activities were not investigated while the governor was chancellor.
Partha Chatterjee, according to Baisakhi, did not want Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to become Chancellor of state-run universities. Baisakhi Banerjee cited Chatterjee as saying, “Am I mad that I will let Mamata Banerjee become the Chancellor?”
According to Baisakhi, suspended minister Partha Chatterjee was opposed to the plan since it would jeopardise his position.
Baisakhi Banerjee served as General Secretary of the TMC’s professor’s cell, known as the West Bengal College and Universities Professor’s Association (WBCUPA). She served as the association’s General Secretary from the end of 2016 to the end of 2017. She had served in the TMC until joining the BJP in 2019. She also quit the BJP in 2021.
(This piece is taken with gratitude from OpIndia)
