Biswa Bangla logo controversy brought more embarrassment for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee BJP leader with Mukul Roy on Thursday tearing into her claims of de jure ownership of the Trade Mark that, “I had given it away to the State Government free of cost until it decides to return it to me."
Roy had kicked off a storm in the State politics soon after joining the BJP claiming on November 10 that his former party Trinomial Congress was “running like a private limited company.” He buttressed his point saying how the Biswa Bangla logo --- designed by the Chief Minister --- used for marketing the State-sponsored events was actually being exploited by her nephew and MP Abhishek Banerjee’s company.
Breaking her silence the Chief Minister on Wednesday claimed that she had in fact given away the logo to the Government in 2013 for its use on condition that it would return to her should the Government decide against using it.
Roy on Thursday however asked, “if the Chief Minister had indeed given away the logo to the Government then the agreement where,” reminding how the junior Banerjee had notwithstanding the “stated agreement between the Chief Minister and the Government” had applied for the ownership of the logo in 2014. “More interestingly the application of for ownership was withdrawn after November 10 when I made the news public,” he added saying the entire doubt was now to be cleared by the Chief Minister and the Government.
Roy also quoted from an affidavit filed before a court by the Chief Minister’s nephew where he claimed that the application for ownership was filed by him upon the approval of the Chief Minister. “If that be so then whose statement one is to believe. On one hand she claims that she had given the logo to the Government for use and on the other her nephew is saying that he had claimed its ownership only after getting the nod from his aunt.”
He also attacked the ruling outfit for thoroughly “politicizing the bureaucracy,” questioning the audacity of two senior IAS officers to issue misleading statements regarding the ownership of the logo on November 10 itself.
“After the Chief Minister claims that the logo actually belongs to her then will she now take action on the IAS officers for misleading the people.”
Roy a former Railway Minister was facing criminal and civil defamation cases filed against him by the junior Banerjee for “trying to malign my name.”
Meanwhile, a beleaguered State Trinamool leadership on Thursday attacked BJP and Roy for “spreading canards against the Chief Minister” but looked at a loss when it came to place counter evidences to disprove his claims.
Senior leader and State Education Minister Partho Chatterjee said “it is very easy to show some papers but it is very difficult to prove things. The traitors who are spreading canards will be in trouble when they will have to materially prove their claims.”