Star singer Krishnakumar Kunnath’s death post a mega concert in Kolkata seems to have opened a Pandora’s box with critics demanding a thorough probe not only into the circumstances that hastened the star’s death but also the source of mega bucks splurged year after year by the undergraduate college students’ unions in organizing live shows worth crores.
Even as words spread about the amount for which the Gurudas College Trinamool Congress Chatra Parishad unit had hired the Bollywood singer many an opposition politicians wondered “from where these youngsters are getting lakhs of rupees to spend in college fests.”
Incidentally there are no students’ unions officially in place in any of the State colleges as student union elections have not been for the past several years. Hence the shows are generally run by the TMCP students’ units that are allowed to pass off as students’ unions.
The show where KK was singing was organized by the TMCP students’ unit (and not a students’ union) of the North Kolkata college.
The Mumbai singer on Tuesday evening died of a massive heart attack post the concert which was held in the overcrowded Nazrul Manch.
“You open the almirahs of any college you will find currency notes stuffed,” said a student of another college from the Sealdah area which is scheduled to host another Mumbai singer on June 6. The said singer has allegedly been paid Rs 25 lakh as an advance, sources said.
This, when the State Government has been crying hoarse about unavailability of funds to clear the dearness allowances and NREGA wages.
“God knows from where these funds are coming … or whether they are being given by the Government or any private business organization ... God knows whether these expenditures are audited or not … God knows what advantage these private organizations that fund these TMCP programmes extract from the ruling party in terms of securing government contracts … particularly because on top of every college students’ unit there is a local MLA or a minister or a councilor,” said a Pradesh Congress leader.
PCC president Adhir Chowdhury too wondered “from where this money is coming in the hands of these young students … this needs to be probed … because Bengal has become a capital of corruption.”
“KK's death is a conspiracy. It is a murder. … This was not a college event. It was an event organized by the Trinamool Congress Chatra Parishad,” BJP MP from Bishnupur, Saumitra Khan said.
BJP national vice president Dilip Ghosh too attacked the “unruly TMC leaders and workers” for submitting to a “licentious lifestyle.” Lambasting the management he reminded what Home Minister Amit Shah said a few weeks ago. “Once you go to Bengal you will not return alive … KK proved this with his life ... He was forced to sing though he was feeling unwell … the TMC men are consumed by arrogance of power … he died bit by bit when they enjoyed their death.”
Khan has written a letter to the Home Minister seeking a probe by central agency into the death of the star singer asking why there was no senior police officer near the venue, who were managing the programme and so on.
“I have written to Home Minister Amit Shah and demanded an impartial probe by a central agency. We don't have faith in the state police. The case needs to be looked into; the role of the police and the organisers needs to be looked into,” he said showing the copy of the letter.